i6o PROCEEDINGS COTTESWOLD CLUB 191 3 



and direction of the point of the label. They were then all 

 carefully dried, the specimens turning out very well. Un- 

 fortunately, it seems impossible to dry Epipadis specimens 

 in such a way as to preserve the critical features : they are 

 pressed out of recognition. This is particularly the case with 

 the colour, and the surface of the label. Hence the prepara- 

 tion of careful notes before drying. 



Next, in order to make my results known to such critical 

 botanists as were likely to be able to throw light on them, 

 I sent most of the gathering, under the general and non- 

 committal name of Helleborine latifolia, to the Botanical 

 Exchange Club, for distribution among its members. The 

 point of my results was embodied in a general note which 

 accompanied them, and which needs (for our present purpose) 

 two preliminary explanations : — Firstly, that the name Helle- 

 borine is the current name in use for the genus Epipadis, 

 cf., e.g. Lon. Cat. Ed. X. ; and, secondly, that the label surface 

 in segregate E. latifolia is smooth, whereas all Mr Day's 

 specimens showed some plication and roughness. 



The Exchange Club Report, which appeared in August, 

 embodies my note and several criticisms. It is quoted here 

 in extenso. 



" Helleboritie latifolia, Druce. Gatcombe Wood, Minchinhampton, 

 v.c. 34, Aug. 14, 1912, Coll., E. M. Day. These are sent to illustrate the 

 difficulty of fitting our forms to the received descriptions. None of these 

 specimens have the orthodox ' smooth bosses ' of the species, though they 

 vary greatly in depth of furrows and amount of roughness. The plants 

 are clearly H. latifolia. Much scarcer with us in Gloucestershire is var. 

 media, E. S. Marshall, the bosses of which show no essential difference from 

 the type, nor do the flower bracts. H. J. Riddelsdell. In H. latifolia 

 the bosses are smooth. I believe this to be fine H. atroviridis, W. R. Linton. 

 E. S. Marshall. The habit, shape, and texture of leaf, smaller flowers, 

 etc., seem to point to var. media rather than typical latifolia. C. E. Salmon. 

 A mixed gathering. Two samples were E. latifolia, AH., one was probably 

 E. atro-ritbens, Hoffm., and several were intermediates. The specimens 

 were, however, not well prepared for accurate determination. — J. Cryer." 



The last two criticisms may be dismissed shortly. The 

 specimens (which all showed a short recurved point to the 

 label) were certainly not E. media : I had satisfactory speci- 

 mens of that from Mr Day ; Mr Salmon's suggestion may 

 therefore be ruled out of court. Mr Cryer's criticism may also 



