873 



as an ascertained British species, and the figure of H. pnlmonariura, 

 Eng. Bot. 2307, interrogatively referred to as a representation of it. 

 We believe this to be correct, as was (first, we think,) announced in 

 the ' Phy tologist ' two or three yeai's ago. In place of H. sylvaticum 

 (Sin.) we now find H. vulgatum [Fries) ; although we do not under- 

 stand the grounds upon which Smith's name for his well known plant 

 has been thus cashiered to make room for another. The H. diapha- 

 num [Fries) of the former edition is subdivided into two species, and 

 the name of diaphanum dismissed ; H. Lawsoni [Sinith) being 

 resumed as a specific name for one of the two, and H. Schmidtii 

 [Tausch) being conferred upon the other. If we understand the plant 

 intended under this latter name, we can quite concur with the author 

 of the Manual in again separating it from Lawsoni, and not (as done 

 by Fries) referring to it for Smith's pulmonarium. But our plant 

 comes very near to murorum and sylvaticum ; as also is the case with 

 another dubious Highland plant, apparently unnoticed by the author 

 of the Manual, which may be the H. incisum [Hoppe). The flowers 

 of H. Lawsoni are said to be " cream-coloured ; " though to our eyes 

 they are of a bright yellow inclining to lemon-colour, and as little 

 meriting the term "cream-coloured" as any of the indigenous species. 

 We do not see how Lawsoni and Lapeyrousii are to be distinguished ; 

 since two or three leaves added upon the stem of the former, below its 

 branches, appears to make it into an example of the latter. H. rigi- 

 dum (" Hartm.^'' Fr.) of the former edition is now split into two species ; 

 namely, H. tridentatum [Fries) and H. rigidum (Fries). As a coun- 

 terbalance to the increase of species by these " splits," we find the H. 

 sabaudum [L.) and H. boreale (Fries) of the earlier edition re-com- 

 bined into a single species ; the latter name being retained for the 

 united brace. This is going back to the ' English Flora,' with a change 

 of name from sabaudum to boreale. They are, however, still described 

 as two subordinate forms ; the fruit of boreale being called " dark 

 brown or nearly black," and that of sabaudum " usually red." Such 

 differences are scarcely more than those of age ; the fruits of many 

 Hieracia running though the stages of pale green, yellowish, red, 

 mahogany, brown, blackish, in their advance to maturity. We happen 

 to know that practical botanists of many years' experience, found great 

 difficulty in applying to their specimens the names and descriptions of 

 the Hieracia, as given in the former edition of the Manual ; and the fol- 

 lowing tabular comparison of the names here mentioned may therefore 

 prove useful. It will, at any rate, afford an useful lesson on the uncertain- 

 ty of our present nomenclature, which will undergo yet other changes. 



