l88 COllRESPONDES'Cje. 



the two stations formerly mentioued, I have now fouud it abundantly 

 in Crackley Wood, near Kenilworth ; The Shawberries. near Shustoke ; 

 Hardings Wood and Birch Moor Stump, near Maxtoke ; Merideu 

 Shafts and Boultbie Wood, near Fillongley (in all these stations on the 

 oak) ; and sparingly on alder roots in Brown's Wood, near Solihull. — 

 J. E. Bagxall. 



Pabis quadeifolia. — I yesterday found the Paris (luadrifolia with 

 xix leaves ; but seeing in John's " Flowers of the Field " that its name 

 is derived from the " unvarying number of its leaves,"' I thought it 

 might be of interest to make the fact known. — Charles Cochkane, The 

 Grange, Stourbridge, July 6th, 1882. 



Paris quadeifolia (Herb Paris, Herb triielavc, or one berry.) 

 — Mr. Cochrane's note on Paris quadrifoUa is of much interest 

 to myself, the G-leaved form of this plant being of rare occurrence. 

 I have never seen it. Smith (in "English Botany") and Hooker 

 (in "British Flora'') describe the plant as having usually -4 — 

 rarely 5 — leaves. Beutham and Babingtoii say 4 leaves ; but Hooker 

 (in " Student's Flora ") says " leaves 4 (rarely 3-8.") Referring to the 

 older botanists it is evident from his description that Gerarde (1633) 

 had only seen the 4-leaved typical form ; whilst Parkinson (1640) in 

 his quaint style writes as follows : — " The ordinary Herba Paris, or 

 Herbe true love, hath a small creeping roote, of a little binding, but 

 ui}pleasant, loathsome taste, running here and there, under the upper 

 crust of the ground, somewhat like a couch grass roote. but not so 

 white, and not much lesser than the roote of the white wild Anemone, 

 and almost of as darke a color, but much like thereunto in creeping; 

 shooting forth stalks with leaves, some whereof carry no berries, and 

 others doe, every stalk being smooth without joynts, and blackish 

 greeue, rising to the height of half a foote at the most, if it bear 

 berries (for most commonly those that beare none, doe not rise fully 

 so high) bearing at the top foure leaves, set directly one against another 

 in the manner of a cross, or a lace or ribben, tyed as it is called in a 

 true love's knot, which are each of them a part somewhat like unto a 

 Nightshade leafe. but somewhat broader (yea, in some places twice as 

 broad as in others, for it will much vary), sometimes having but three 

 leaves, and sometimes six, and sometimes smaller and sometimes larger, 

 either by a quarter or halfe, or, as I said before, twice as great," &c. 

 Speaking of the rertues of this plant, Parkinson tells us that " although 

 some formerly did account this herbe to be dangerous, if not deadly, as 

 by the name of Aconituni, it may be gathered, because the forme thereof 

 bred in them such a suspitiou, yet have not set dowue au}" evill 

 symptoms that it wrought ; " and after relating certain experiments 

 made upon dogs by Pe)ia and Lobel, he states that " the leaves or berries 

 alone are also effectuall to expel poisons of all sorts, but especially that 

 of the Aconites, also the plague and other infectious diseases ; it hath 

 been observed that some have been holpen thereby that have lyen long 

 in a lingriug sickness, and others that by witchcraft (as it was thought) 

 wei'e become half foolish, as wanting their wits and sences, by taking a 

 dramme of the seedes or berries hereof in pouder every day for twenty 

 days together, were perfectly restored to their former good estate and 

 health,"' &c. Since writing the foregoing, I find a notice of the plant 

 by Rev. J. S. Henslow (in " Mag. Nat, Hist,," Vol. Y., pp. 429-33), in 

 which out of 1,500 specimens examined 1 had 3 leaves ; 1,211, 4 leaves ; 

 259, 5 leaves : and 29, 6 leaves. These observations were made bj' the 

 great botanist above mentioned and Prof, Babingtoii, then not so well 

 known as now (only Mr. Babingtoii then), /';•<;;/( 18^6 to 1S32. — J. E. 

 Bagxall. 



