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I have felt greatly interested in Mr. Watson's discovery that our 

 beautiflil Lastraja recurva is known and described as a native of 

 Madeira ; but, highly as I value that gentleman's judgment, I cannot 

 agree in his proposed alteration of the name. It is quite evident that 

 Mr. Lowe's name of Nephrodium fcenesecii var. alaium is intended 

 for the plant in question : it is equally evident that Mr. Bree described 

 the same species as Aspidimn dilatatum var. recurvum : I believe, 

 although it appears quite immaterial, that Mr, Bree's name has the 

 claim of priority. Without any knowledge of Mr. Lowe's description, 

 I described the fern as a species in 1844, adopting the name under 

 which Mr. Bree had previously described it as a variety. An inspec- 

 tion of numerous specimens has convinced me that Mr. Lowe's 

 Nephrodium fcenesecii is a mere repetition of the Polypodium crista- 

 tum of Linneus, the Aspidilum spinulosum and dilatatum of later 

 authors. Supposing Mr. Watson to be right in his view when he says, 

 " I consider Mr. Lowe to have been correct, not in error, when he in- 

 cluded a triangular [recurva] and oblong [multiflora] form of frond 

 under one specific name," (Phytol. ii. 568), I then claim the right of 

 going back to the oldest name given to the same assemblage of forms : 

 supposing Mr. Watson mistaken, then he will not deny me the credit 

 of singling out the triangular form, and being the first to describe it as 

 a species : Mr. Lowe truly singles it out many years previously, but 

 only as a variety^ and in this Mr. Watson says he is " correct^ not in 

 error r The matter must now be left for others to decide ; I should 

 not have thus called attention to it a second time, had it not been in- 

 timated to me that my silence was interpretated as an assent to Mr. 

 Watson's views. 



It seems desirable to give annually a brief outline of additions to 

 the British Flora, and as this was omitted from last year's address, the 

 subjoined discoveries extend over a longer space of time. It will be 

 recollected by most of oiu* readers that the ' London Catalogue of 

 British Plants ' brought down the list of recorded species to the close 

 of 1843. In April, 1846, the Botanical Society of London issued a 

 circular (See Phytol. ii. 542), embracing, amid other information, a 



