140 



and specific characters given in English Botany, 

 with the annexed admirable plate, are highly satis- 

 factory. By Lightfoot's excellent specific descrip- 

 tion no one can be deceived as to its identity ; and 

 the generic character by the classical Hudson pleases 

 me much ; his trivial name articulata is a good one ; 

 perhaps reticulata would be better. His reasons for 

 changing the old generic name to Nasmythia I can- 

 not trace ; may be to honour the memory of Nas- 

 myth, who was a botanist, and surgeon to James I. 



Our Eriocaulon varies much as to the height of 

 its scapus, from a very few inches to nearly two 

 feet ; the leaves are pretty uniform, and I think 

 c grass-leaved' a more descriptive term than ensiform 

 or ' sword-shaped'. In all the specimens I have ex- 

 amined, the sheath at the base of the scapus is in- 

 variable ; but the angles undoubtedly vary, — most 

 frequently seven : if my eyes, with the assistance 

 of a watch-maker's glass, do not deceive me, I have 

 counted from six to ten angles on a scapus; I am 

 therefore of the late Dr. Hope's opinion, who, al- 

 though our Ericcaalon differs in many respects from 

 the E. of Linnaeus, yet thinks it the same. Per- 

 haps your valuable Herbarium may clear up the 

 point ? I was, on the ground of angles, at one time 

 tempted to enumerate a few species, strengthened 

 in some measure by a conversation I had some time 

 since with a Dr. Browne, a very excellent, accurate 

 botanist, who informed me that he had met with 

 several species of Eriocaulon in Ireland. I would 

 most willingly yield to this gentleman's accuracy 

 and better judgement, on many other points ; yet in 



