188 



DATES OF FLOWERING 



[June, 



The first reliable and authentic account of Lathyrus tuberosus 

 as a genuine native of England, is supplied by Petiver's Herba- 

 rium, where there is a specimen, with the following note, viz. 

 " Lathyrus arvensis repens tuberosus. I had it from the Rev. 

 John Sedgwick, who gathered it not far from Lincoln, in the 

 north field of Blankney, near the road to Lincoln." 



There is in Buddie's Herbarium a specimen of the same plant, 

 and from the same locality, and indorsed by the same authority. 

 This latter- mentioned specimen is in Herb. Sloan, vol. 119. 

 Lobel, Tragus, and F. Columna are undersigned as the authori- 

 ties for the species. 



The last mention of it, previously to its discovery in 1860 at 

 Wandsworth and Fyfield, is to be found in Lightfoot's ' Flora 

 Scotica,' p. 1137. 



Lathyrus tuberosus is recorded in Lightfoot in the Appendix, 

 among his " doubtful natives, or such as have not yet come under 

 the author's inspection." All he says about it is as follows, at 

 p. 1137, vol. ii. — " Lathyrus tuberosus. In Dr. Hope's Collec- 

 tion, but where collected he does not know." 



This plant is stated in Green's Botanical Dictionary to be a 

 "native of France, Germany, Flanders, Holland, Switzerland, 

 Austria, and Siberia. This is a most noxious weed to the hus- 

 bandman, and is exceedingly difiicult to extirpate." 



A full account of its recent discovery will be forthcoming in the 

 Flora of Essex, which has been announced in the 'Phytologist.' 



EAELIEST DATES OP FLOWEEING OF THE FOLLOWING 

 PLANTS OBSEKVED IN THE VICINITY OF BOSS, 1860-1. 



