403 



The papers in the December number are intituled : — 



* Note on Athyrium Filix-fcemina, var. latifolium ; by F. J. A. 

 Hort; 



' On the Sparganium natans, " Z." Fr. ; by John T. Syme.' 



' On the Duration of certain Plants of the German Flora ; by Th. 

 Irmisch.' 



' Literature :' — ' The Beauty of Flowers in Field and Wood, con- 

 taining the Natural Orders or Families of British Wild Plants, &c. 

 By John Theodore Barker. Bath : Binns and Goodwin. London : 

 Whittaker & Co.' 



' Miscellanea :' — ' Record of Localities.' ' Sale of Nees von Esen- 

 beck's Library and Herbarium.' 



Mr. Syme, after observing that Fries makes out a good case for 

 separating Sparganium natans fi-om a smaller plant, generally passing 

 under that name, but which he (Fries) believes to be S. minimum, 

 Bauh., goes on to say that Mr. Babington adopts Fries's views, and 

 notices the occurrence of both species in this country; and adds.: — 



" S. natans, ' L.' Fr., has the sheathing bases of the leaves, and 

 more especially of the bracts, considerably inflated ; the fruit oblong, 

 stipitate, and not longer than the subulate beak ; the stigma almost 

 linear, and the male heads often numerous. 



, " S. minimum, ' Bauh.' Fr.' has the bases of the leaves and bracts 

 not enlarged ; the fruit ovate, sessile, much longer than the conical 

 beak ; the stigma very short, ovate, and the male head solitary. 



" The following description is from specimens collected this autumn 

 in Aberdeenshire. dit 



" Root fibrous, sending out runners ; stem flaccid, round, very 

 faintly striated, from 6 inches to 3 feet 6 inches long ; radical and 

 cauline leaves floating, grass-green, very long, linear, from 1 inch to 

 4 inches broad, flat above, slightly convex on the under surface, with 

 swollen sheathing bases ; bracts similar to the leaves, but broader, of 

 a firmer texture and with the sheathing bases more inflated ; common 

 flower-stalk sometimes branched but oftener simple ; segments of the 

 perianth oblong-ovate, blunt ; male heads 1 — 8 in my specimens, ses- 

 sile ; anthers yellow, six or seven times as long as broad; female 

 heads 1 — 6, lowest with a long peduncle, uppermost sessile, the pe- 

 duncles of the intermediate ones getting shorter as they approach the 

 top of the stem ; style moderately long ; stigma almost linear, long, 

 not much thicker than the style ; fruit oblong, with a distinct stalk, 

 which becomes more apparent in drying ; beak subulate, as long as 

 the fruit. 



