I860.] BOTANICAL RAMBLES. 13 



In a note to the above characters^ which M. Crepin calls con- 

 stautj he adds, " In 1856 I collected in deep water, between Bande 

 and Champion (Luxembourg), P. oblongus, with leaves one-third 

 part larger than those of P. natans ; and notwithstanding the 

 extraordinary development of the stem and leaves in these plants, 

 the fruit and spikes were as small as usual in this species. This 

 fact does not corroborate the opinion of some botanists that P. 

 oblongus is only a minor form of P. natans." Sigma. 



BOTANICAL KAMBLES IN JUNE, 1859. 



By John Sim, A.B.S.Ed. 



Ramble IV. — Banks of the Tay and Almond. 



In the latter end of June, 1859, I set out in search of Valeri- 

 ana pyrenaica, Vicia sylvatica, and Erigeron alpinum. The first 

 I found, the other two I found not. 



Erigeron alpinum is stated, p. 242 of Hooker's 'Flora Scotica,' 

 to grow near the Bridge of Almond, and Vicia sylvatica about 

 the same locality was found by my friend Dr. Lindsay a few 

 years ago. I have a specimen of it, gathered some years since 

 by a Scone gardener at the same station, but though I searched 

 long I could not find it. On this occasion I walked from the 

 Bridge of Perth, along the margin of the Tay, until its junction 

 with the Almond two miles above Perth, and then ascended the 

 left bank of the latter for about a mile. In this day's walk I 

 observed the following plants: — Hieracium prenanthoides, border 

 of a field, in a dry ditch, not yet in flower; Galium' boreale, right 

 bank of the Tay, in abundance, just coming into flower ; Avena 

 prafensis and Festuca pratensis, also plentiful ; Scirpus sylvati- 

 cus not yet fully developed. Near the junction of the two rivers 

 are two woody islets, containing about two and three acres re- 

 spectively; in them are found the following rather rare plants: — 

 Geranium sanguineum, Cnicus heterophyllus, Doronicum Parda- 

 lianches, Stellaria nemorum, Lychnis diurna, Hieracium prenan- 

 thoides, Armeria maritima, Silene maritima, Solidago Virgaurea, 

 P7'imula veris, and Thalictrum minus. 



I pursued my way northward, to the place where the two ri- 

 vers meet, and crossed the Almond dry-shod ; this river, owing 



