40. R. CORYLIFOLIXTS. 269 



The specimen sent to Leighton by Lees as his R. sub- 

 lusti'is y coenosns differs from that wliich I received from 

 him with the same name : the latter has a very pruinose 

 stem without felt, and belongs to my var. /? conjungens; 

 Leighton's example has plenty of felt on its stem, and must 

 be placed under my va7'. y purpureus. 



My acquaintance with the B. Wahlhergii (Arrh.) is 

 limited to what can be derived from the single specimen 

 contained in Fries' Herbarium Nor male (ix. 49), which it 

 may fairly be presumed is an authentic example of the plant. 

 I am unable to distinguish this specimen from some forms 

 of R. corylifolius y purpureus, and do not think that it can 

 be separated from this species. Upon a careful comparison 

 of the Swedish plant with that variety, I find only the fol- 

 lowing slight differences : — The stem seems to be quite devoid 

 of stellate down ; the stipules are much narrower than in 

 R. coryUfolius; but they are variable even in our plant ; and 

 I do not consider the presence or absence of diaphanous 

 veins on them a satisfactory character for the distinction 

 of species. Although the upper side of the leaves is de- 

 scribed as " glaberrima," there are a few scattered hairs 

 thereon in the Swedish specimen, which is in that respect 

 precisely similar to some forms of our R. corylifolius. The 

 colour of the filaments is white, whilst they are usually 

 pink in my var. y purpureus: they are more commonly, if 

 not always, white in our other varieties. Although our 

 plant has greenish styles they are occasionally tinged with 

 pink at the base : a tint not mentioned as occurring in R. 

 Wahlbergii. These are all the differences which I am able 

 to detect by comparing the Friesian specimen with the 

 above description of R. corylifolius y purpureus, and simi- 

 larly examining specimens of my plant with the description 

 of R. Wahlbergii and the remarks pul)lislied by Arrheuius. 

 Certainly it is usual for that variety not to have deflexed 



23—3 



