27 



which is clearly identical with the Equisetura fliiviatile of Linneus. 

 This species is generally branched, but it is impossible to examine 

 any number of stems without finding a considerable portion un- 

 branched. These unbranched stems I supposed to be the Equisetum 

 limosum of Linneus ; but before writing the Synopsis, I met with the 

 Irish plant, and the appearance of this was so dissimilar, that I 

 thought it might be a species, and perhaps the Linnean sjDecies 

 limosum, so I retracted the opinion previously expressed, that the 

 Linnean limosum was the unbranched form of the common fluviatile, 

 since the new plant answered his description equally well, and had 

 much more appearance of being distinct from E. fluviatile ; from the 

 description handed by my correspondents, I was able to say that the 

 new plant " appears to grow at a greater elevation, to prefer boggy or 

 muddy localities to actual water, and never under any circumstances 

 to become branched." The reviewer, in this instance, by altering the 

 wording, quite alters my meaning, and makes me ^^^Qdk 'positively of 

 a fact of which I had no positive knowledge. The reviewer, in saying 

 that I separate " the unbranched form, &c.," quite mistakes my inten- 

 tion : the London ditch plant is either branched or unbranched, both 

 kinds of stem growing from one rhizoma : I never thought of sepa- 

 rating these. The Dunkerron plant may also be branched or un- 

 branched, but I only see it and hear of it as unbranched ; it is this 

 Dunkerron plant that I separate, and not the unbranched form of the 

 London plant. When I supposed that the unbranched form of the 

 London plant was the limosum of Linneus, I treated it as a mere 

 casualty, and still think 1 was justified in doing so ; but when I 

 receive examples of a second plant, differing in habitat and in several 

 characters, I think it possible I may have a second species, and do 

 not unite it with either the branched or unbranched form of the 

 Loudon plant. 



Edward Newman. 



Botanical Society of London. 



November 1, 1844. — J. Reynolds, Esq., Treasurer, in the chair. 

 Read, " Notice of the discovery of Galium Vaillantii, near Saffron 

 Waldon, Essex," by G. S. Gibson, Esq. Specimens were presented. 

 (See 'Phytol.'i. 1123). 



November 29, 1844. — Eighth Anniversary Meeting; J.E.Gray, 

 Esq., F.R.S., President, in the chair. From the Report of the Coun- 

 cil it appeared that 17 members had been elected since the last An- 

 niversary, and that the Society now consisted of 173 members. The 



