388 



Orobanche elatior. 

 Festuca myurus. 

 Avena strigosa. 

 Lolium multiflorum. 

 Glyceria plicata. 



Mary Kirby 



Friar Lane, Leicester, November 14, 1848. 



Note on, and Query respecting the Flowering of Mentha sylvestris. 

 By George Lawson, Esq. 



Your correspondent Mr. Snooke, whom the inaccuracy of our 

 Floras led to walk a distance of eleven miles and back in vain, in 

 search of the lovely Menyanthes, will no doubt find many sympa- 

 thizers among your readers, for few field-botanists there can be but 

 have occasionally experienced disappointment and chagrin in a 

 similar way. 



In the end of September last I, too, found occasion to enter into 

 deep sympathy with Mr. Snooke, having, along with a friend, walked 

 eleven long miles and back in the vain hope of seeing Mentha syl- 

 vestris in flower, at our Sidlaw Hill station. I had previously seen 

 the broad patches of the plant in August ; but there was at that time 

 no appearance of its flowering, and as the months of August, Septem- 

 ber, and October are those indicated in botanical works as the flowering 

 period, I thought the end of September a good time, and accordingly 

 set out at that time on a journey to the station to see the plant in flower, 

 being accompanied by my friend Mr. John Syme. However, on ar- 

 riving at the Mentha ground, we could trace no symptoms of flowering, 

 and although the plant seemed in good health, there was no reason to 

 suppose it would flower this season, the season being so far advanced, 

 and not the slightest appearance of a flower-bud. 



I do not mean to find fault with our botanical authors for our Sid- 

 law plant not flowering this season, the object of the present note 

 being to inquire whether the Mentha, in the more genial clime of 

 England (where I believe it is not a rarity as with us), is ever observed 

 to remain barren for a season ? If not, may the circumstance of its 

 not regularly producing flowei's at the Sidlaw station militate against 

 its nativity there ? Perhaps some of your kind southern readers may 

 feel sufficient interest in the subject to favour us with the result of 

 their observations in an early number of the ' Phy tologist.' 



