136 CONTRIBUTIONS TO A FLORA OF PORTLAND. 



Muscari racemosum, Lam. & DC. Grape Hyacinth or 

 Starch Hyacinth. Alien. II. Very rare. On a path- 

 way between cultivated grounds north-west of Higher 

 Lighthouse ; Mansd-Pleydell, in litt. 1879, and see Flo. 

 Dor. Ed. 2, p. 267. Tramway side, near Pennsylvania 

 Castle, 1878 ; J. W. White. 



Obs. "The erect abortive flowers on the summit, and 

 the pendant fertile ones below, were as well 

 developed as any I have seen on the other side of the 

 Channel ; " Mansel-Pleydell in 13 Journ. Bot. p. 211. 

 Scilla non-scripta. Hoffmgg. & Link (nutans, Sm.). Blue- 

 bell. Native. II. Not com. Local. Verne slopes, 

 (formerly more frequent). East Weare. 

 Ornithogalum umbellatum, L. Common Star of Bethlehem. 

 Denizen. Local. II. Scattered in grass lawns West of 

 Avalanche Road, Weston, 70 or 80 plants, 1912 ; has 

 been observed here " time out of mind ; " F ! 



Obs. The plant, as found in Portland, is the var. b. of 



Bert. Fl. It. IV. 95, and 0, angusti folium, Boreau. 



Juncus Gerardi, Lois. Mud Rush. Native. Com. I. and 



II. Shores. 

 J. sylvaticus, Reich, (acutiflorus, Ehrh.). Sharp-flowered 



Rush. Native. II. Rather rare. Culverwell. 

 Arum maculatum, L. Cuckoo-pint. Lords and Ladies. 

 Native. II. Abundant in open pastures, but with very 

 starved appearance. 



Obs. Much less freq. than formerly, owing to improved 

 cultivation. " The fresh root (corm), like the rest 

 of the plant, is very acrid and poisonous ; but it 

 contains a large amount of nutricious starchy 

 fecula. This starch, separated by crushing and 

 w r ashing, was formerly prepared for laundry work 

 and other purposes, and, at one time was much 

 esteemed in the Island of Portland as a food for 

 sick folk. In 1797 the gold medal of the Society 

 of Arts was awarded to Mrs. Jane Gibbs, of Port- 

 land, for producing starch suitable for economic 



