46 



native localities. I believe that I should have done the same, if un- 

 aware that it was the descendant of P. maritimum, with which it 

 agrees in its more nerved ochreaj ; while in general habit, that is, in 

 in its long trailing branches and elongated internodes, it has a much 

 stronger first-glance resemblance to P. Raii. Are a few more or less 

 nerves in the ochreae sufficient specific distinctions between plants 

 which are otherwise scarcely if at all distinguishable ? When I can 

 procui'e ripe seeds of P. Raii, I will try how near that (species ?) can 

 be brought to P. maritimum. 



9. Melampyrum sylvaticum, [Linn.) Compact bushy specimens, 

 with broader leaves than usual ; possibly the consequence of growing 

 in drier ground. At first sight, I fancied that I had discovered a new 

 species. 



10. Festuca loliacea {Huds.), pratensis {Hitds.), and arundinacea 

 {Schreh.) These are all garden specimens, though the roots were ori- 

 ginally wild. They are the two species and one variety [loliacea) 

 intended under these names in the London Catalogue. I believe it 

 would have been proper to have added also F. elatior [Linn.) to these 

 three ; and, for the present, to have placed " arundinacea" as a vari- 

 ety of F. elatior. By observation of the wild plants and their culti- 

 vation in the garden, I am fully persuaded of pratensis and loliacea 

 being forms of one species: it will be seen, that the specimens of the 

 latter show an evident state of transition from the racemed to the pa- 

 nicled inflorescence, and there is scarcely any other distinction be- 

 tween them. The large, reed-like, very harsh arundinacea, would 

 seem perfectly distinct from pratensis, were there not the F. elatior to 

 come between them. By growing it in a small flower-pot, sparingly 

 supplied with water, I have reduced the panicle of arundinacea to a 

 very dwarf condition, but the branches still spread out quite unlike 

 those of pratensis after the flowering stage. 



11. Avena alpina, [Smith). These also are garden specimens, al- 

 though their root was brought from rocks by a waterfall above the 

 Pass of Drumochter, in Perthshire. They seem to my eyes about the 

 best representatives of Smith's Avena alpina which I have met with. 

 On this account the root was brought home, and on this account its 

 garden-grown flower-stems are now distributed. The plants of York- 

 shire (reported as Avena alpina) appear rather intermediate links to 

 connect it with A. pratensis ; and the same also is the case with spe- 

 cimens of the latter, distributed by the London Society as the nearest 

 approach (in wild specimens) to A. alpina ; but which are labelled as 

 " pratensis passing into alpina." 



