815 



evident that Smith and Sowerby did not Jirst adopt it in ' English 

 Botany,' but that in 1805 they figured a fern sent them by Mackay, 

 of which he has stated, in ' Flora Hibernica,' that after cultivation it 

 assumed the character of A. dilatatum. Had it not come from a ca- 

 vern where A. spinulosura was not likely to grow, I should have 

 thought it might be an indifferent figure of a bad specimen of that 

 species, the pinnulae being equal ; as Mr. Mackay unites the two 

 plants, it is not easy to ascertain what character of A. dilatatum he 

 means to say it assumed. It is evident the A. spinulosum of Willde- 

 now is a different species, and I wish Mr. Bree's supposition that it 

 is his A. recui*vum, may prove correct. I gathered this plant in Corn- 

 wall, I think in 1791, certainly not later than 1802, for I have not 

 been in that county since^ — Edward Forster ; Woodford, November 

 9, 1843. 



412. Note on Sonchus oleraceus and S. asper. Mr. G. S. Gibson 

 has kindly pointed out to me an error concerning these plants in my 

 * Manual,' which is of so much consequence that I hasten to publish 

 it. It is Sonchus oleraceus that has the fruit transversely rugose 

 combitied with arrow-shaped auricles to the leaves. In S. asper the 

 fruit is longitudinally ribbed but smooth, not transversely rugose. 

 Allow me to express a hope that if other errors are obseved by those 

 who may make use of my book, they will favour me by communicat- 

 ing them, — Charles C. Bahington : St. John''s College, Cambridge, 

 November 3, 1843. 



413. Note on Cynosurus echinatus. In reference to Mr. Edmon- 

 ston's note on Cynosurus echinatus (Phytol. 772), I beg to say that I 

 found only three roots of that plant in the Vale of the Calder. I met 

 with them about half a mile from Sowerby bridge ; two of them were 

 beautifully in flower, these I took up to make specimens of; the other 

 was in a young state, this I took up also, and have it now living : one 

 of the others I have given away. A single plant of Cynosurus echi- 

 natus has been found this season at Ash-grove, about four miles from 

 the place where I found those alluded to above. I have a specimen 

 of this grass from the south of England, and another from the conti- 

 nent ; these two specimens are identical, and both have a very dense 

 ovate spike, which is covered with a very fine white silvery substance. 

 The Ash-grove plant (which is now in my possession) is far more ro- 

 bust than the specimen from the south of England, its spike being 

 two and a half inches long and about one and a quarter in breadth, 

 and is somewhat interrupted in its lower part : it also differs in hav- 

 ing only about half the number of glumes on its outer spikelets, and 



