112 EXTRACTS FROM CORRESPONDENCE. [April, 



new to me, growing for about a hundred yards along the railway- 

 side at Crosby. 



I gathered specimens, which after a careful examination I 

 found to be Sisymbrium pannonicum ; and Mr. Babington, with 

 his uniform kindness, informed me that the name was correct : 

 he says that it was before discovered in the neighbourhood of 

 Wandsworth. 



The plant at Crosby was in great abundance, and I afterwards 

 found had existed there for some time; for the Rev, H. Higgins 

 had specimens (though not named) found some years since at the 

 same place. 



In May the plants were just coming into flower, and were very 

 beautiful, with their finely pinnate leaves set round an erect and 

 elegant stem of about two feet high. The whole plants were 

 of a glaucous hue, slightly truncated at the summit, and their 

 branches, when the plants became mature, and the seed-vessels 

 began to form, became very divaricate, spreading and inter- 

 lacing one with the other in a remarkable manner, so that 

 a plant formerly only a few inches across the top, became as 

 many feet in diameter. Among our British species it is nearest 

 allied to S. Sophia, to which it has some slight resemblance. I 

 am puzzled to account for its introduction, but think it may 

 have been introduced among seeds sown in the station-master's 

 garden."^ 



Seeds of Verbascum Lychnitis vegetating after remaining in a 

 dormant state for a long period. 



In 1850, when about preparing a list of the Flowering Plants 

 of this neighbourhood for a correspondent, I found a Verbascum 

 in seed, and being unable to determine the species in that 

 state, I sent the seed to my correspondent, who sowed it in 

 his garden. After the lapse of five years, several plants of Ver- 

 bascum Lychnitis made their appearance, and could not be ac- 

 counted for, except from the supposition that my seed was that 

 of Verbascum Lychnitis. This last summer (1858) I visited the 

 locality where the Verbascum grew, and had the satisfaction of 

 finding it to be Verbascum Lychtiitis, just coming into bloom, 



* The plant above observed at Liverpool has been plentiful at Wandsworth 

 during the last seven or eight years. — Ed. 



