Botany. 163 



1519. TULIPA sylvestris, L. (WILD TULIP), 45, P. An Asiatic 



steppe plant, found as an escape sometimes in pastures. 

 A pollen flower. 



a. Mr. B. Harrison, of Ightham, has plants in his garden 

 descended from plants found by him in a wood at 

 Ash about thirty years ago. W.H.G. 



1520. GAGEA lutea, Gawler (FASCICULARIS, Sals.), 34, P. Woods 



and thickets ; very rare. 



a. West Coombe Park, 1836. 



b. Dartford, Masters. 



1522. COLCHICUM autumnale, L. .(AUTUMN CROCUS), 910, P. 



Meadows ; very rare. 



a. First record only, 1836 : Fields between Shooter's 

 Hill and Plumstead Common. 



1523. NARTHECIUM ossifragum, Huds. (Boo ASPHODEL), 67, P. 



Turfy bogs, rare in our districts. 



1. Abundant in bog below Mill, Keston Common, '06. 



W.H.G. 

 a. First record, 1746 : bogs near Caesar's Camp, Bromley. 



1525. PARIS quadrifolia, L. (HERB PARIS), 5, P. Damp shade 

 plants. Fly pollinated, the flies being attracted by the 

 mock nectaries and the foetid smell. 



1. Wood at Crofton, '06. W.H.G. An error has crept 

 into the floras and text-books in regard to this 

 plant. The leaves are most frequently four, but 

 3, 5, 6, 7, and 8-leaved forms occur. It is erro- 

 neously stated that when the leaves vary from 

 four, the parts of the flower also vary. Out of 

 more than 200 variously leaved plants examined, 

 only one variation in the parts of the flower was 

 observed, and that was an additional sepal in an 

 8-leaved plant. The 3-leaved form does not 

 produce flowers. W.H.G. 



NOTE. To this Order belong the Aloes (South African dry-steppe 

 plants), Yucca (for details of its unique pollination, see Willis's 

 " Flowering plants and Ferns," or Rendle's " Flowering Plants," 

 vol. 1), and Dracaena, all of which increase their stems by an anomalous 

 secondary thickening. Many others are cultivated : Smilax (a 

 shrubby climber), various species of Lilium, Trillium, Funkia, 

 Gloriosa superba (a beautiful greenhouse plant), and Phormium 

 tenax (New Zealand Flax). Aspidistra, the well-known pot plant 

 is pollinated by small terrestrial insects, and possibly by slugs. All 

 these plants may be found at Avery Hill. 



