329 



Buccouibe or Bowcorabe Down, and is almost completely surround- 

 ed by corn-fields. The Vinca here grows in most luxuriant profusion 

 over the greater part of the wood, covering the ground with a thick 

 carpet of densely interwoven stems, to the utter annihilation of every 

 plant of weaker vegetating powers than itself. The station is the 

 only one yet known to me in which this species, so common in the 

 mainland woods of Hampshire, is to be seen in a truly natural condi- 

 tion on this side of the Solent. The seed-vessels, though plentifully 

 produced, are not very easily detected amongst the mass of entangled 

 stems and leaves, as they are chiefly found low down on the flowering- 

 shoots, their green colour and the prone curvature of the peduncles 

 in this fructiferous state materially aiding their concealment. They 

 appear to be a long time in attaining maturity when the very early 

 flowering of the plant is taken into account, since, though fully grown, 

 but few of the capsules had begun to open and discharge the seed 

 when I last visited the spot (August 22nd), having made but little 

 progress towards ripening in the fortnight before, when I first detected 

 them, but which is perhaps attributable to the cold and moisture then 

 prevailing. In a warmer season they would probably have been in 

 perfection by that time. 



The follicles are small (from about half an inch to an inch in 

 length), geminate, parallel to each other or diverging, mostly unequal, 

 and often very much so, one of each pair frequently altogether aboi*- 

 tive ; oblong, more or less beaked, the apex somewhat obtuse, 

 straight or a little curved ; angular, sulcate and glabrous, green, or 

 here and there brownish, coriaceous, bursting along the inner side, 

 and having a pair of small yellowish glands at their base. Seeds two, 

 or (by abortion ?) solitary, when in pairs often imperfect, elliptical 

 oblong, subcylindrical, truncate at the ends opposed to each other, 

 with a deep channel along one side, formed by the inflexion of the 

 pale, fleshy, or rather cartilaginous albumen upon the line of placen- 

 tation, which is parallel to, and close upon, the sutural margins ; dull 

 rusty brown, rugose, scabrous, punctate and cellular. Embryo in the 

 axis of the seed, linear, straight, or nearly so. I find the follicles 

 often perforated and the seeds devoured by some insect I have not 

 yet had the means of ascertaining. 



W. A. Bromfield. 



Rvde, Isle of Wight, September, 184.5. 



Vol. II. 2 s 



