THE GOOSE-GRASS. 255 



or three localities in Scotland and Ireland, is simply 

 a variety, more or less persistent, of this species; 

 and so undoubtedly is the grey spreading bedstraw 

 (G. cinereum) of the " Edinburgh Catalogue," a rare 

 variety of the upright plant (G. erectum), if, indeed, 

 this last may lay claim to the dignity of being a 

 distinct species. Few plants are more difficult ac- 

 curately to distinguish than the galiums, though 

 variations of growth, &c., frequently appear to pre- 

 sent very specific differences of character. Sir J. W. 

 Hooker justly says, "scarcely any genus requires 

 illustration more than Galium." 



The bearded G. aristatum, though very common 

 in Angusshire, appears to be almost confined to that 

 locality. 



The great hedge (G. mollugd), and the wall bed- 

 straw (G. parisiense), we must pass over as much 

 too doubtful to be either discussed or described in 

 a work of the present character. 



The warty-fruited bedstraw (G. sacchardtum), is 

 a rare, but very well-defined plant, occurring only 

 in the north. Of the three blossoms crowning each 

 peduncle the two outer ones are sterile, and die 

 away to make room for the overgrown and warted 

 fruit of the centre one. 



The rough-fruited G. tricorne occurs principally 

 on the chalk, though it is by no means confined to 

 that formation. 



The smooth-fruited G. spurium, which has been 

 only found in corn-fields in the neighbourhood of 

 Forfar, so closely resembles the cleavers or goose- 

 grass (G. aparine) that Sprengel considers them to 



