808 



resembles that usually dwarf and littoral state of B. mollis, which has 

 been erroneously called " B. velutinus " by several British botanists. 

 These inland specimens have culms fully four times as tall as the 

 shore plant, and the pubescence of the glumes or pales is shorter. 

 They are, indeed, simply examples of B. mollis, with the pedicels 

 and spikelets much shortened, and the panicle thus rendered more 

 close or compact. B. commutatus, not B. arvensis, was growing in 

 the same field with the present. 



Pyrethrum inodorum, proliferous variety. This interesting mon- 

 strosity is sent by Mrs. Russell, from Seaton, in Devon. It is highly 

 proliferous, like the Hen-and-Chicken Daisy of the gardens ; about a 

 score of secondary heads springing from the axils of the involucral 

 bracts, on pedicels of a quarter or half an inch in length. Several of 

 these secondary heads are again proliferous, giving origin to a few 

 tertiary heads. On a hasty glance the specimens might be referred 

 to the order of Umbelliferae, as likely as to Composite. 



Hyacinthus non-scriptus, with foliaceous bracts. This is remark- 

 able only for the continued production of leafy bracts during several 

 successive years after removal into my garden. The original wild 

 specimen, growing under a hedge, in Claygate, Surrey, had leaf-like 

 bracts of three inches long to each flower. In the garden, in dry 

 ground, and exposed to the sun, they have become reduced to half 

 the size ; but still, each year, a few long ones are produced. There 

 are other varieties and monstrosities, sufficiently explained on their 

 labels, or sufficiently obvious without explanation. 



Rubi. The Society is indebted to the Rev. A. Bloxam for a series 

 of specimens in duplicate, which will doubtless be acceptable to those 

 members who delight in these troublesome bushes. I regret, how- 

 ever, to see them sent with loose labels ; a probable consequence of 

 which will be, that half of their labels will get misplaced to the wrong 

 species before they reached their final destinations. Mr. Bloxam is 

 doubtless a very methodical and accurate botanist ; and, as such, he 

 will scarcely conceive the necessity that exists for guarding against 

 the thorough confusion and commingling, and almost utter absence 

 of order and method, which prevail at No. 20, Bedford Street. The 

 Rev. W. A. Leighton also sends some Rubi, but these are mostly 

 single examples of a species, not in duplicate, and therefore little 

 available in a distributing society. 



Cultivated Plants. Several plants are distributed from my garden, 

 either because there is difficulty in obtaining wild examples of the 

 species, or for some other special reason. Mr. Thomas Moore also 



