462 



guishing this rather obscure or ill understood species from the common H. perforatum. 

 I collected seeds of the Killamey dubium for the purpose of testing its immutability 

 under cultivation. The breadth of the leaves in our narrow forms of H. perforatum, 

 varies extremely, as I before observed, being sometimes quite linear, more frequently 

 however linear-oblong or linear-elliptical, with deflexed margins ; in height, erect ha- 

 bit, and corymbose inflorescence, this variety agrees exactly with that described by Mr. 

 Westcott. Besides being the H. veronense of Schrank, our variety seems to be the H. 

 stenophyllum of Opitz, Winn, et Grab. Fl. Siles. ii. 82 ; H. perforatum, 8. angus- 

 tifolium. Gaud. Fl. Helv, iv. 628 ; whilst our less common broad-leaved state I suppose 

 identical with Gaudin's H. perforatum, (8. latifolium, 1. c. s., and of Koch in the en- 

 larged edition of Rohling's ' Deutschland's Flora,' Vter band. s. 349, a work unequal- 

 led for laborious research and accuracy of detail. Gaudin's description of our narrow 

 leaved perforatum, leaves no doubt that his Swiss plant is absolutely the same as the 

 British one. — Wm. Arnold Bromfield ; * Eastmount, Ryde, Isle of Wight, December 

 3, 1842. 



246. Curious state of Carex panicea. I have lately received a curious variety of 

 Carex panicea, which T do not find noticed in any work on British plants. It differs 

 from the common state of the plant in having double perigi/nia, the second or upper 

 ones with their peduncle passing through the orifice of the first or lower ones ; the 

 lower perigynia also have the usual number of stigmas. As such forms are not com- 

 mon amongst the Carices, perhaps it may be interesting to some of the readers of 'The 

 Phytologist ' to know that they do occasionally occur. The plant was found at Bris- 

 tol, in June, 1842, by Miss Wood, Liverpool-road, Islington, to whom I am indebted 

 for the specimen. — Samuel Gibson ,■ Hebden Bridge, December 5, 1842. 



247. Hierochloe borealis, (Phytol. 426). In August, 1836, I went with a party of 

 botanists to seek for this plant in Glen Cally, which is within three or four hours' walk 

 from the Spittle of Glen Shee. Unfortunately we set out in the afternoon, and did 

 not reach tbe place until the day was far spent ; so tbat before we had penetrated the 

 recesses of the Glen, the evening shadows warned us to depart. The fatigues and the 

 dangers of our return by a shorter but untried route across the mountains, and our de- 

 scent long after sunset, will not soon be forgotten. Had time permitted, I have no 

 reason to thiuk that we should have been unsuccessful in our search for this plant. — 

 W. Wilson ; Orford Mount, near Warrington, December 10, 1842. 



248. Supposed neiv British Fern. On recently comparing the specimens of Adian- 

 tum Capillus-Veneris, gathered by Mr. Ward at Ilfracombe in Devonshire, in 1840, 

 with one from the Isles of Arran, given to me when Ireland, by Mr. Keilly of Galway, 

 I found a marked difference in the general character and habit of the two plants; and 

 on closer inspection I discovered in the footstalks of the leaves a difference which ap- 

 peared perfectly constant, so far as the specimens before me are concerned. In the 

 Arran specimen each pinnule is articulated to a somewhat capitate footstalk, from 

 which it may be separated by a very slight touch : in this character as well as in the 

 form of the pinnules, it appears identical with a common West Indian species which 

 I suppose to be the Adiantum fragile of Willdenow's ' Species Plantarum.' My ob- 

 ject in publishing this supposed discovery in its present crude form, is to invite those 

 botanists who happen to possess specimens from both localities, to compare them, 

 with a view of establishing or disproving my conjecture. — Edward Neivman ; De- 

 cember 10, 1842. 



* In a letter to E. Newman. 



