860 



The Oxytropis uralensis of English authors is now named O. Hal- 

 leri {Bunge)y on grounds quoted in the words of Koch, " Planta ura- 

 lensis ab europaja differt." 



The remark to the effect that the Eryngium from the banks of the 

 Tyne is specifically different from E. campestre is omitted now; and 

 under "E. campestre" the author says, "I am indebted to Mr. James 

 Storey, of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, for specimens from Friar's Goose, 

 which are refenible to this species." 



The name of" CEnanthe peucedanifolia {Poll.y is still retained fof 

 the species so named by Smith. It has been distinctly stated in the 

 * Phytologist,' by an eye-witness of the fact, and in a paper which has 

 been seen by the author of the Manual, that the fruit of Smith's 

 plant is subcylindrical in form, and has the callous base obvious even '' 

 before maturity (Phytol. ii. 14 and 15). Nevertheless, he quotes a 

 description of the fruit, which we can apply only to a very immature 

 stage, and adds, " Many authors refer the English plant to QE. silai- 

 folia (Bleb.), which has an enlarged callous base to its fruit, accord- 

 ing to Koch and Grisebach." The author of the Manual did not 

 dare to contradict the description which assigns a callous base to the 

 fruit of the English plant, but he passes it by unrecognized, and 

 makes a statement which implies a denial. We could adduce other 

 instances of this sly mode of virtually, without actually, contradicting 

 the statements of other observers when at variance with views put 

 forth or descriptions given by himself on insufficient data. 



Fceniculum piperatum {Ten.) is reported as a doubtfully British 

 species ; and the habitat of St. Aubin's Bay, Jersey, assigned for it, 

 on the authority of the Rev. W. W. Newbould. The author of the 

 Manual still queries the specific identity of the wild and garden 

 plants designated by the name of Fceniculum officinale, on the ground 

 of differences in the segments of the leaves, which are "awl-shaped" 

 (Hooker), or " capillary " (Babington). We have seen plants with 

 awl-shaped segments around an older plant with capillary segments, 

 and to all appearance produced from the seeds of the latter. 



Valeriana sambucifolia [Mik.), which was alluded to in the preface 

 to the ' Phytologist' for 1846, appears as a true "species universally 

 adopted on the continent." The author quotes Fries to this effect: 

 " E seminibus educta characteres indicates bene servat, quare ut 

 speciem agnoscere cogimur." We cannot, however, allow the con- 

 clusive sufficiency of the argument when thus put. The test of he- 

 reditary descent is valuable chiefly for showing forms which are not 

 genuine species; that is to say, when the seeds of one alleged species 



