57 



belong. Indeed, I had expressly stated in rny paper which called 

 forth Mr. Forster's reply, that there is " great variety of form and 

 size, both in leaves and flowers." Some time ago, other specimens 

 of the "Surrey violet" were sent to Mr. C. C. Babington, who refer- 

 red them to his " Ruppii," described with " cordate-ovate leaves." 

 Smith says the leaves are " heart-shaped, obtuse." The descriptions 

 of the three botanists run thus : — 



Smith ; — cordate, obtuse. 



Babington ; — cordate-ovate, slightly narrowed into petiole. 



Forster (1) ; — ovate-lanceolate, subcordate at base. 

 Do. (2) ; — ovate-lanceolate. 

 Each of these is correct, but partially so. What are the facts from 

 nature ? My herbarium includes some thirty or forty examples col- 

 lected in this neighbourhood ; and I find their leaves ranging from 

 perfectly cordate to ovate-lanceolate. Mr. Babington's term of 

 " cordate-ovate " is a good average, and might be applied to the 

 larger portion ; but on several dwarfed specimens (corresponding 

 with the example of V. flavicornis in Smith's herbarium) the leaves 

 are truly cordate and obtuse. In conclusion, I beg to refer Mr. 

 Forster to a paragraph on Viola lactea in the last ' Phytologist,' 

 namely, vol. iii. page 47. 



Hewett C. Watson. 

 Thames Ditton, February 3, 1848. 



Occurrence of Carex punctata on the Cornish Coast. 

 By Thomas Westcombe, Esq. 



Amongst the specimens which I collected in Cornwall last sum- 

 mer, I find that I have one of Carex punctata, Gaudin. Having 

 been informed that the Cornish coast is a new habitat for it, and it 

 being also a species which has but few recorded localities in this 

 country, its occurrence there may be worthy of notice in the ' Phy- 

 tologist.' The locality, as nearly as I can describe it, is by the side 

 of the footpath on the face of the cliff on the coast south of St. Austel, 

 and about three quarters of a mile westward of Charlestown. 



T. Westcombe. 



Worcester, 2nd mo., 8, 1648. 



Vol. hi. 



