521 



and West Medina. Plentiful along the road from Shanklin to Bon- 

 church, about its greatest elevation. In Luccombe Chine and East- 

 end, and thence common all along the Undercliff about Ventnor, 

 Steephill, St. Lawrence, &c. Frequent at Arreton, and plentiful at 

 the entrance of Shorwell from Newport. About Brading, Yaverland, 

 Cowes, Freshwater, and many other places. Very rare near Ryde, 

 a few plants observed on the Newport road ; almost, if not entirely 

 wanting on the green sand. Apparently not uncommon in mainland 

 Hants. Just out of Fareham on the way to Porchester, and in Main- 

 dell chalk-pit; Mr. W. L. Notcutt!!! Abundant a short distance 

 from Bishopstoke on the road to Fair Oak. Selborne. 



Helminthia echioides. In woods, thickets, waste places, borders 

 of fields, and by road-sides ; a much more social and far more widely 

 distributed plant than the last, occurring abundantly and often in 

 great profusion over most parts of the Isle of Wight, both on the ter- 

 tiary and cretaceous deposits, but unlike the Picris, evincing a prefe- 

 rence for stiff clays rather than for the chalk, though accommodating 

 itself with facility to the latter. Our damp clayey and chalky woods 

 and thickets are sometimes quite filled with it, and the great scabrous 

 root-leaves, spreading in flat circular tufts or rosettes, are very con- 

 spicuous all the winter long in these, and on hedge-banks and waste 

 ground, fallows, &c. Common, I think, in most parts of the county. 

 Porchester Castle, Newlands, the Salterns; Mr. W. L. Notcutt. Mr. 

 Rawkins, late of Hardingshoot farm, tells me that sheep are partial 

 to the early radical herbage of this very rough plant, which in that 

 neighbourhood at least is known by the incorrect name of borage. 



Lactuca virosa. On dry hedge and ditch-banks, chalk cliffs and 

 waste ground ; very rare in the Isle of Wight. On a hedge-bank 

 between Wroxall and Newchurch, July, 1844 ; Miss Hadfield. 

 Through the kindness of Miss H. I possess a part of the only speci- 

 men gathered by her, given to me last year, since which I have had 

 no opportunity of visiting the locality. From not being aware of its 

 rarity here, Miss H. is unable to say whether other specimens were 

 growing with that gathered as an example for the herbarium ; the 

 plant must be of extremely rare occurrence in this island, since I 

 have myself never fallen in with it; and as regards the mainland I 

 have great reason to fear that my notice of it in the Supplement to 

 the ' New Botanist's Guide,' Vol. ii. p. 568, as growing amongst 

 bushes on the shore between Southampton and Netley, and in other 

 places about Southton, was given on hasty and imperfect observation, 

 and should be expunged till better authenticated. At the same time, 

 Vol. hi. 3 y 



