223 BOTANICAL NOTES, NOTICES, AND QUERIES. [July, 



sepal between its point of attachment and its base). Spurs of the two 

 spuiTed stamens flattened, lunulate ; style straight. 



Note. This Violet does not correspond with the description of V. pumila 

 as given in Godron's 'Flore de France,' p. 180, where the leaves are de- 

 scribed as " ovales-allongeas, arrondies on en coin a la base, largemeut deciir- 

 rentes sur le petiole, stipules . . . surpmmnt le petiole." 



Our plant agrees well enough with V. canina of this author. 



Complaints have been made about the imcertainty of the synonyms of 

 the Dog Violet of Gerard ; and our Continental brethren do not appear to 

 be unaiiimons in their interpretations of Viola canina, V. sylcaiica, F. syl- 

 vestris, etc. The V. sylvestris of Koch is not the V. sylcestris of Lamarck ; 

 and the V. pumila of Fries is not V. pmnila of ViUars. 



Tiie production of the flowering stems from the rhizome, and not from 

 the tuft of leaves terminating the stem produced the previous season, ap- 

 pears to be the only tangible difi'erence between V. sylvatica, Fr., and 

 F. canina, Linn., as now generally understood in England' a difterence 

 more apparent than real. The stem of the present year of the Brighton 

 Violets will probably be added to the rhizome previously formed, and next 

 season the flowering stem will again be a continuation of the rhizome. 

 The stem and the inflorescence are both indefinite or undetermined, or in 

 other words the apex of the stem does not perish, but, with the rhizome, 

 etc., sinks into the soil or herbage, and is ready to start afresh next season. 

 That such is the case with V. canina, or the North Brighton Violet, there 

 can be little doubt, and it is probably so with F. sylvestris, Koch {F. syl- 

 vatica, Fr.). 



MoEE Things not Generally Known. 



The foUomng quotation from a report of a floral show, evinces very 

 clearly that the knowledge of botany is not extending among our popular 

 instructors, the daily and weekly press. This new production " out-Herods 

 Herod." It beats Mr. Timbs's "things not generally known." . . . 

 " Lastly, there was a remarkable hybrid-looking contribution, called the 

 Spergula pilifera, a floricultnral cross between common grass and com- 

 mon moss, and having all the appearance of the human hair after having 

 been subjected to a close cropping, or to grass itself after having been 

 browsed upon by cattle. There can be no question that this new grami- 

 niferous production mil furnish a fine material for lawns and verges, 

 since it is emphatically an evergreen, retaining its verdurescence uniformly 

 throughout the year, unafi"ected by cold or di-ought, and besprinkhng it- 

 self at certain seasons with snow-white starry blossoms. In addition to 

 these peculiarities it bears all the rolling and pressure of ordinary grass, 

 and, what is a stUl more recommendatory matter in its favour, anoma- 

 lous as it may appear, unlike other gi-asses, it requires no mowing!" 

 What will botanists say to this hybrid, a mule between a common Grass 

 and common Moss ? Its qualities are wondrous, and set forth with great 

 magniloquence ! A. B. 



Monkshood. 



The following sad account is an illustration of the ancient classical 

 adage, " Where can we find a teacher for an octogenarian (the original says 

 sexagenarian)?" 



