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Botanical Notes for 1849. By G. S. Gibson, Esq., F.L.S. 



I had hoped that some one else might have furnished the ' Phyto- 

 logist' with a notice respecting some discoveries of the present year, 

 but as this has not been hitherto done, and it seems desirable that 

 they should be recorded in its pages, for the information of botanists 

 generally, I shall briefly describe those which have come under my ob- 

 servation. The first to which I refer is the occurrence of Poterium mu- 

 ricatum of Spach, P. polygamum of Waldstein, in the neighbourhood of 

 Cambridge, in two different places, discovered by gentlemen in that dis- 

 trict. Only a few specimens of it were seen, and being subsequently 

 cut down, there was little opportunity of making observations upon it. 

 Soon afterwards, having been informed of the discovery, I met with it 

 in a gravel-pit at Heydon, in this county, and subsequently on grassy 

 places by the road-side, for some distance ; I also found it in plenty 

 in a field of saintfoin, in this parish, and my friend T. Bentall in- 

 forms me that he has gathered it in a field of the same plant near 

 Halstead, which might have tended to throw some doubt on its being 

 native, had not the Heydon locality been free from suspicion, and 

 quite satisfactory to several of our best British botanists, who visited 

 the spot. It is possible it may, nevertheless, have been introduced 

 in some places, but it is very unlikely that a foreign plant should be 

 found simultaneously in so many different places and varying circum- 

 stances. A short time after, I again met with it on Boxhill, when 

 searching for another plant, as will presently appeal - , and I believe it 

 has been found in Warwickshire ; so that it will probably prove not a 

 rare plant in chalky and limestone districts. It is likely to be over- 

 looked for P. Sanguisorba, which it much resembles, though doubt- 

 less quite distinct. The following are some of the prominent differ- 

 ences between the two plants : — 



Fruit of P. muricatum large, strongly winged, with its surface pitted, 

 and the elevated margins of the pits dentate. In P. Sanguisorba the 

 fruit is small, angular, but scaixely winged, reticulate-rugose, but not 

 pitted. The calyx of the former is larger and more spreading ; the 

 heads are much heavier, perfecting more seeds. The leaves are ge- 

 nerally more coarsely serrated, and the whole plant stronger. The 

 hermaphrodite character of the central flowers is insisted on by some 

 authors, but it is not very constant or certain. 



The locality is generally cultivated or waste ground. 



In another part of the parish of Heydon, I was much surprised and 

 pleased to meet with Melampyrum arvense in considerable abundance, 



