797 



vero non aliorum commentis, sed mese experientiae indulgere debui ; — 

 parum vero curans utrum planta ceterum autoctona vel primitus intro- 

 ducta videatur" (Corpus Flor. Provin. Suec. i. Fl. Scan. p. 13.) 



Daphne Laureola. In woods, copses, thickets, hedges, and on 

 bushy banks, usually under the shade of other shrubs and trees. In 

 many parts of the Isle of Wight, but not generally frequent there. 

 Far more common in East than in West Medina, and in the last prin- 

 cipally around Ryde, in many of the woods near which town it is quite 

 a frequent shrub. In Quarr Copse, Shore Copse, Church Lane, and 

 elsewhere at Binstead ; between Quarr and Ninham ; Priory woods ; 

 copses near Aldermoor farm ; betwixt Aldermoor and Smallbrook 

 farms ; copses about the Wootton River, and in most other woods and 

 thickets for a few miles about Ryde, usually sporadic, but occasionally 

 in tolerable abundance within a limited area. It exhibits in this 

 island a decided preference for the clay of the tertiary strata, over the 

 chalk or any other deposit. Wooded bank betwixt Blading and Nun- 

 well. In a wooded hollow in Appuldurcombe Park, and on the bank 

 at the top of a sloping field immediately above Span farm ; in both 

 places on the chalk, and rather plentifully. In the Underchff, but 

 very rarely. By the Pulpit Rock, and wood between Steephill and 

 St. Lawrence; Mr. Albert Hambrough !!! In St. Boniface Copse, 

 opposite St. Boniface Cottage, in considerable plenty ; Miss Hadfield ! 

 Very uncommon in West Medina. On Carisbrook Castle Hill, amongst 

 the trees on the east and north sides, and amongst bushes at the up- 

 per end of the plantation of beeches by the way up to the castle from 

 Newpoit. A single specimen picked in Stopler's Copse, betwixt Yar- 

 mouth and Thorley. I have not remarked the Spurge Laurel in many 

 places on the mainland of Hants, but have no reason to believe it rare 

 in the county. Selborne, as mentioned by White. I find it in Great 

 Dorton (a wood so called), and in various parts of Selborne Hanger, 

 especially at the end furthest from the village, when it is quite fre- 

 quent in the beech woods. At Boldre Hill, near Lymington. In 

 woods (West Meon), frequent; Miss E. Sibley. Holt Woods; Rev. 

 Messrs. Gamier and Poulter in Hamp. Repos. Wood at Cams. 

 Down -lane chalkpit (Fareham) ; Mr. W. L. Notcutt. I once found a 

 flower of this plant with six divisions, including within a single peri- 

 anth a double set of stamens, and two ovaries, — perfectly distinct, yet 

 without any appearance as if two of the blossoms had cohered and 

 grown into one. This beautiful evergreen shrub is always in full 

 flower here by the beginning of February, and in most years as early 

 as January. The Rev. G. E. Smith tells me that the Spurge Laurel 



