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Notes on the Periods of Flowering of Wild Plants. 

 By George Lawson, Esq. 



This is an interesting subject, brought before the attention of your 

 readers by Mr. Lees and Mr. Snooke in your last number, and one to 

 which additional attention ought undoubtedly to be directed ; but I 

 fear much that we must wait a little for the lulling of the species 

 mania before the subject receives that attention from the authors of 

 Floras which its importance demands. The knowledge and discri- 

 mination of species is a most important matter, but it should not be 

 looked to as the grand end of Botany, and when it excludes the in- 

 vestigation of equally important departments of the science, it then 

 assumes a false importance to which it is not entitled. 



The periods of the flowering of plants in different parts of Britain 

 must from obvious causes be very various; but were attention to be 

 directed to the subject by botanists throughout various parts of the 

 country, the accumulation of facts thus collected would no doubt 

 modify very considerably the flowering-periods stated in the different 

 Floras, at least in many places. 



I have been in the habit for a few years past of observing the dates 

 of the appearance of various flowers, more particularly in the early 

 part of the season, and the following notes are the results of a num- 

 ber of my lists for different years being put together, and the average 

 dates struck. 



February 20. Petasites vulgaris first in flower. 



March 9. Draba verna in flower. In 1848 it was so late as the 

 25th of March before I obserbed the Draba, but from its appearance 

 it had evidently been in flower long before that date. 



March 14. Petasites vulgaris in full flower. 



March 15. Ranunculus Ficaria, Chrysosplenium oppositifolium 

 and Mercurialis perennis in fl. The Ficaria and Chrysosplenium oc- 

 casionally begin to produce stray flowers very early in mild winters. 



March 20. Primula vulgaris in fl.* Viola odorata and Veronica 

 hederifolia in fl. 



March 24. Tussilago Farfara in fl. 



March 30. Viola hirta in fl. 



* I may remark that we have not primroses flowering promiscuously throughout 

 the winter in Scotland, as seems to he the case in England. An exception to this 

 rule may, however, he noted in the case of plants on the coast banks exposed to the 

 maritime breeze, which occasionally produce an early flower. 



