589 



Occurrence of a new Variety of Silene injlata in Fifeshire. 

 By George Lawson, Esq., 



On the flowery banks of the river Eden, at the delightful spot call- 

 ed Eden-grove, where, under the cooling shade of the waving trees, 

 and round a lovely luxuriance of Geranium pratense, Iris pseud- 

 acorus, Valeriana officinalis, and other floral beauties, may frequently 

 be seen the wary angler, eyeing the lively trout as it nibbles his 

 bait, I find a variety of the Silene inflata, with the stem, and 

 leaves (on both sides) covered with a rough pubescence, while the 

 peduncle and calyx are perfectly glabrous. I presume this variety to 

 be intermediate betwixt the normal form and the variety &., which has 

 been found "near Cromer, Norfolk" and " Banks of the Clyde." The 

 normal form is always wholly glabrous, while the var. &. has the 

 " calyx, stem and leaves downy." This variety, which I believe to be 

 a new one (not having observed it previously noticed), generally grows 

 very luxuriantly here ; much more so than the normal form : indeed I 

 have not seen instances of pubescence in plants of S. inflata, of the 

 ordinary size. It may be worthy of remark that I have not been able 

 to discover different degrees of pubescence, or anything approaching 

 to an " almost glabrous state. " Geo. Lawson. 



Dron,by Cupar, Fifeshire, July, 1846. 



P. S. I think this variety may be common although hitherto over- 

 looked, and am almost certain that I have seen it by the road-side 

 to the westward of Dundee in Forfarshire, while residing there, al- 

 though I then passed it by without notice. May I ask local botanists, 

 (and I am glad to observe these are on the increase), to look out for 

 the plant at that place, as I may not have occasion to pass that way 



soon. 



G. L. 



Supposed transformation of Oats into Rye. 

 By Joseph Sidebotham, Esq., 



The well known statement of Dr. Weissenborn, and others, of a 

 plan for the transformation of Oats into Rye, must be familiar to 

 every reader of the * Phytologist,' but perhaps few have thought it 

 worth the trouble, either to verify or contradict it. Having seen the 

 statement often repeated, like advertisements of quack medicines, and 

 recommending " only one triaV to be convinced of its truth, I deter- 

 mined to try the experiment. 



Vol. II. 4 d 



