1862.] EXTRACTS FROM CORRESPONDENCE. 187 



nal of a Naturalist/ where the fusiform yet fibrous root has 

 become four times the length of the blades at the surface. The 

 author says that the figure given " represents the tufted head 

 and entire roots of a grass gathered from a down (at Malvern) 

 fed by sheep from time immemorial. It is probably that of the 

 hard Fescue (Festuca duriuscula), which, having been constantly 

 eaten down, has never thrown up flourishing stems, giving out 

 only radical leaves. These appear to have been cropped short 

 as soon as they have sprung up, the less succulent and strawy 

 portions only being left, as a bush constantly clipped by the 

 gardener's shears. The root appears to have annually increased, 

 though the upper parts it Avas destined to nourish have been 

 destroyed, until it became a lock of closely compacted fibres, 

 like a tuft of hair six or eight inches in length." Grasses con- 

 tinually cropped by sheep, as long the case on the unenclosed 

 Malvern Hills, increase much by their roots, and gather soil 

 about them, thus continually increasing the crust of mould on 

 the rocks beneath, now hidden by verdure. 



EXTRACTS FROM CORRESPONDENClf. 



(( ■ 



Euphorbia Lathyris. 



Many truly native British plants are very uncertain in their 

 periodic appearance ; they may be abundant in one season and 

 may disappear in that locality for several years. 



This is certainly the case with the, above plant, Euphorbia 

 Lathyris, which sometimes grows in the greatest abundance in 

 the little Yew wood at the foot of Boxley Hill, near Maidstone, 

 and'tlieh ft may disappear for many years. — E. M. A. 



iiEfiremembei: very jmany years ago seeing a single plant or so 

 of this species, usually called " Caper Spurge," in the Bedford 

 Purlieus, a part of Rockingham Forest between Wansford and 

 Kingscliffe, but much nearer to the former than to the latter. 

 I had often seen it in a semi-spontaneous condition, and con- 

 cluded that the plant or plants seen in the Bedford Purlieus had 

 sprung up from a seed accidentally dropped by the woodcutters, 

 who might have seasoned their bacon with its acrid fruit. The 

 above extract from Mr. E. M. A/s letter throws considerable 

 suspicion on this inference. :f9i ^ziiul QSSfiJ ro 



