Mr. C. C. Babington on British Plants. 361 



came from Switzerland, and adds, " Etiam planta anglica ' Isle 

 of Arran, Buteshire/ hue pertinet." The H. grandifolium (Chois.) 

 is an Azorean plant which I possess from Madeira. 



Under these circumstances it becomes desirable to ascertain 

 what plant is called H. Androscemum in different parts of Britain : 

 my specimens, correctly so named, are from Caernarvon, Tenby, 

 Dunstafnage in Argyleshire, and Burrishoole in the county of 

 Mayo. Dr. Balfour possesses it from Isles of Arran and Bute 

 in Scotland. 



In the month of August 1852, Dr. Balfour gathered at Glan- 

 mire near Cork, a large plant which is manifestly distinct from 

 H. Androscemum, and probably may be the H. anglicum. It is 

 far more nearly allied to //. hircinum than to H. Androscmmm, 

 from which latter species its winged pedicels, much larger flowers, 

 much narrower and more pointed sepals which do not enlarge 

 with the ripening capsule, relatively much longer petals, which 

 are more than double the length of the calyx, styles equalling 

 the stamens, or even exceeding them, and pointed oblong cap- 

 sules, clearly distinguish it. 



From H. hircinum it is separated by its flower-buds being con- 

 siderably broader in proportion to their length, the petals clawed 

 rather than narrowed to their base, the leaves broadly cordate- 

 ovate-acuminate and pellucidly veined but only slightly pellu- 

 cidly punctured. In H. hircinum they are (even when slightly 

 cordate at the base, as is sometimes the case) almost exactly 

 ovate-oblong and much both pellucidly punctured and veined. 

 These differences are slight, and it is therefore quite possible that 

 the plant found in Ireland may prove to be a state of H. hircinum. 

 The habit of the plants is (I believe) so different that I am rather 

 inclined to look upon them as distinct. 



H. grandifolium (Chois.) has terete branches and peduncles, 

 blunt leaves which are very much pellucidly punctured, narrow 

 petals, and an ovate-conical capsule, i. e. apparently only slightly 

 narrowed at its base. As Bertoloni justly remarks, the figure 

 given by Choisy (Prod, d'une Monog. de la Famille des Hype- 

 ricinees, t. 3) clearly shows that it is not the same as our plant, 

 and this is confirmed by my specimen from Madeira. 



Bertoloni appears to consider his H. anglicum as very much 

 more closely allied to H. Androscemum than is the case with the 

 Irish plant, to which I provisionally apply the name of H. an- 

 glicum, and it is thus possible that he may have had something 

 else in view when he conferred that name upon the plant before 

 him ; nevertheless his quotation of Reichenbach's plate is in 

 favour of his plant being the same as ours. 



H. Androscemum and H. anglicum may perhaps be characterized 

 as follows :• — 



Ann. S^ Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 2. Vol.xi. 24 



