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struck by the difference between this plant and P. aviculare, with 

 which it had previously been associated ; but the specimens then sent 

 to the author of the ' British Flora,' were placed as a variety of P. 

 aviculare, in the second or third edition of that work. In the fifth 

 edition, it appears as a distinct species, under the name of P. Roberti; 

 but the identity of our plant with the P, Roberti of the continent be- 

 ing doubtful, Mr. Babington has described it under the name of P. 

 Raii. I am not aware that any botanical author has yet concuiTed 

 with me in deeming it rather a variety of P. maritimum, than of P. 

 aviculare. Those who do not believe it a variety of P. aviculare, hold 

 it a proper species. P. Raii is technically distinguished by the few 

 and unbranched nerves of its short ochreae, the long internodes, loose- 

 ly trailing habit and annual root. In P. maritimum the ochreae are 

 longer, with more numerous and branching nerves, the internodes ve- 

 ry short, the root perennial, and the plant forming a suberect close 

 bush. Yet the seeds of the true P. maritimum, collected in the Azores 

 and sown in my garden, produced plants in 1843, which partook 

 much of the physical characters of P. Raii from the shores of Britain. 

 They had the loosely trailing growth and long internodes of P. Raii, 

 though nearer to P. maritimum in their ochreae ; and they proved an- 

 nual in this climate. Other examples, raised from the seeds ripened 

 in 1843, had rather reverted back again towards P. maritimum in the 

 drier and warmer summer of 1844 ; having their ochreae larger, inter- 

 nodes shorter, and leaves broader and more coriaceous, than was the 

 case in the examples of 1843. Further experiments will require to be 

 made on these plants ; but I may mention one circumstance which will 

 show that the general appearance of my garden plants, of 1843, approx- 

 imated to that of the British P. Raii. One specimen was sent by post 

 to a well-known Professor of Botany, who has collected P. Raii in its 

 native localities, with a request that he would name the specimen. 

 His reply was " P. Raii." I wish that some kind botanist would send 

 me ripe seeds of P. Raii, for a trial how near this could be brought to 

 P. maritimum. 



Lolium perenne [Linn.) and Lolium multiflonim [Lam.) — English 

 agriculturists have latterly been sowing the Lolium multiflorum, which 

 they call " Italian Ryegrass," instead of the better known L. perenne 

 of Britain. That there is some decided difference between the two 

 species, and that this difference is perpetuated by seed, may be infer- 

 red from the preference shown for the Italian ryegrass. The most 

 conspicuous distinction between them, botanically speaking, occurs 

 in the awned paleae of L. multiflorum. Besides this, the spikelets are 



