Mr. C. C. Babington on British Plants. 431 



quadrangularly-oblong, conspicuously notched. Nuts globose, 

 mealy, with a basal scar. 



This plant varies considerably in appearance owing to the 

 breadth of its leaves being inconstant, and individuals of it dif- 

 fering greatly in hairiness, but it is believed that the character 

 derived from its habit may be depended upon. The nuts afford 

 an apparently constant although minute distinction. The form 

 of the upper lip of the corolla is stated by Bentham to vary, but 

 it has proved constant as far as my observations have extended. 



It appears to be quite certain that this is the true and exclu- 

 sive T. Serpyllum of the 'Fl. Suec' and the 1st edition of the 

 * Sp. PL' of Linnaeus. His words in both of those works are — 

 " T. floribus capitatis, caulibus repentibus, foliis planis obtusis 

 basi ciliatis." In the 2nd edition of the ' Sp. PL' he altered the 

 word " repentibus " into " decumbentibus," intending perhaps 

 thereby to include the plant now called T. Chamcedrys, in which 

 the stems cannot weE be said to creep, although they do ultimately 

 become decumbent. In his herbarium there are several speci- 

 mens upon papers pinned together ; they consist of examples of 

 the plants called T. Serpyllum, T. angustifolius and T. Chamaedrys, 

 but that which is marked with pencil and also with ink as in- 

 tended to correspond with the ' Sp. PL' ed. 1. is the T. angusti- 

 folius of Persoon, and therefore the plant described above as the 

 true T. Serpyllum. The above synonymy also shows that this is 

 the plant called T. Serpyllum by the best writers. Bentham 

 (Lab. 343, 344, and in DeCand. Prod. xii. 201) combines the T. 

 Serpyllum and T. Chameedrys of Fries to form his T. Serpyllum, but 

 doubtfully separates from it the T. angustifolius of Persoon. It 

 will have been already seen that I believe him to be in error (re- 

 sulting from a neglect by most authors of the habit of the plants); 

 for although he has rightly separated the T. angustifolius from 

 T, Chamcedrys, he has erroneously distinguished it from T. Ser- 

 pyllum, and also incorrectly joined the T. Chamcedrys with the 

 latter. 



This plant inhabits heaths and dry barren ground, flowering 

 throughout the summer. I have specimens from Thetford, Suf- 

 folk ; Gogmagog Hills, Cambridgeshire ; Isle of Wight ; Bath ; 

 West Cornwall; Barmouth; Snow don; Orkney Isles; S. Isles of 

 Arran, Co. Gal way ; and the coast of the county of Antrim. 



2. T. Chamcedrys (Fries) ; stems similar diffuse ascending 2-4- 

 fariously hairy, leaves broadly ovate with a flat winged stalk, 

 floral leaves similar, flowers whorled and capitate, upper lip of the 

 calyx with three triangular teeth, lower lip of two subulate teeth, 

 upper lip of the corolla semicircular. 



T. Chamsedrys, Fries, Nov. ed. 1. 35, ed. 2. 197, et Summa, 197, et 



