806 



on their labels by the contributor, although I still regard that of 'mo- 

 nensis ' to be the correct name for the Welsh specimens, while both 

 stand in the Society's Catalogue. See * Cybele Britannica,' i. 165, 

 were the doubts concerning this Welsh plant w r ere particularly men- 

 tioned. I presume that Mr. Henfrey adheres to the original announce- 

 ment, reporting the plant as " S. Cheiranthus." 



Arenaria media (Linn. ?). Mr. George Maw has sent some 

 examples of this plant, under name of A. rubra, and located from 

 Hartland Quay, North Devon. I have ventured to add " var. media" 

 on the labels. It is distinguished from the true A. rubra by its pe- 

 rennial root and other slight characters, and is perhaps often com- 

 mingled with the other marine Arenaria, with larger flowers and 

 winged or bordered seeds, which represents the Linnean A. marina in 

 several English herbaria. Example of this latter are also sent by Mr. 

 Maw, and are distributed with the A. media (?), in order to facilitate 

 comparisons between these maritime and allied, yet probably distinct, 

 species. To which of them do the names of " media" and " marina" 

 truly belong ? Some authors give the name of media to the plants 

 with winged seeds. See ' Phytologist,' iii. 321 and 482. In cases 

 where confusion has occurred, and is likely still to occur, between 

 two resembling plants, it is an excellent plan to send equally nume- 

 rous examples of both, even although one of them may be quite a 

 common plant. I have only to regret that Mr. Maw did not send 50 

 or 100 specimens of each. Indeed, in this, as in many other in- 

 stances, the Society's rule which directs members to send few spe- 

 cies, but many specimens in their parcels, would have well applied. 

 The best parcels of British plants received by the Society, include 

 only three to six species, with ten, twenty, fifty, or even a hundred 

 specimens of each, according to rarity or novelty. Parcels of this 

 kind not only save a vast deal of trouble to the distributors in Lon- 

 don, but in the aggregate they produce also a much better collection 

 and supply of rarieties. Parcels that include many species, few speci- 

 mens of each, give far more trouble, and are worth less in their ag- 

 gregate result when all brought together. 



Lastrea uliginosa (Newm.). Mr. Thomas Moore sends a few cul- 

 tivated examples of this fern, which has recently been described by 

 Mr. Newman as a species distinct from L. spinosa and L. cristata, 

 both which it resembles a good deal in the intermediate form of the 

 frond, character of rhizoma, &c. Mr. Moore labels it a variety of L. 

 cristata, while Sir William Hooker deems it barely a variety of L. 

 spinosa. Some years ago, Mr. Wardale sent a large supply of L. cris- 



