THE PHYTOLOGIST. 



On Arenaria uliginosa, Leersia oryozides and Galium Vaillantii, 

 By Edward Forster, Esq., V.P.L.S. 



At the first meeting of the present session of the Linnean Society 

 (November 3, 1844), specimens were presented of three plants 

 hitherto not observed in this country; — all of them very interesting, 

 being apparently indigenous, not garden escapes, nor likely to 

 have been planted by any of those pseudo-botanists who delight in 

 being guilty of such malpractices. Though these have been duly 

 noticed in your Phytologist (the announcement of the continuation 

 of which useful work gave me great pleasure), you may not object to 

 a iew trifling remarks concerning them. 



Arenaria uliginosa^ having been described by Sir William Hooker, 

 and figured in the 'Supplement to English Botany,' No. 2890, requires 

 no observation, except perhaps that it may still be doubted whether 

 it ought to be Spergula or Arenaria, if the two genera are kept sepa- 

 rate. It is much to be wished that we might be told who was the ac- 

 tual discoverer of this plant, as it would be an act of justice to record 

 his name ; and it would be rather awkward and inconvenient to note in 

 our herbania, — "Found by one of a little band of botanists, Messrs. 

 J. Tatham, jun., J. Backhouse, sen. and jun., Silvanus Thompson, and 

 G. S. Gibson." To the last of these travellers I am indebted for a 

 specimen. 



Leersia oryzoides, found by Mr. Borrer, in Henfield Levels, where 

 it has probably escaped notice from the flowering spike being con- 

 cealed in the leaves ; which is not always the case on the Continent, 

 from whence I have a specimen, gathered by Mr. Joseph Woods, with 

 the spike quite exposed. This being so well known from foreign 

 specimens, and likely to be described by the finder, in ' English Botany,' 

 needs no further remark. 



Galium Vaillantii, discovered by Mr. G. S. Gibson, near Saffron 

 Walden, in, Essex, has probably been hitherto overlooked from its 

 affinity to Galium Aparine, from which it appears sufficiently distinct. 

 It was well named Galium Vaillantii by De Caudolle, for it is clearly 



VOL. II. B 



