Prof. C. C. Babington on the British Species 0/ Arctium. 5 



All our other species have a racemose inflorescence and more 

 or less hollow petioles, never truly solid like those of A. majus. 

 M. Crepin expresses doubts concerning two of them (my A. inter- 

 medium and A.puhens), and it is therefore necessary to pass them 

 carefully in review. It will be seen that such a review leads to 

 material changes in the nomenclature, but leaves the plants 

 otherwise very much as they were. 



A. minus does not require any notice. Examination leaves it 

 unchanged, except that the remark should be added that the 

 young heads are not umbilicate, but nearly flat below. It is 

 often a large plant, but has very small heads arranged in a raceme. 



I formerly stated that the lower leaves of my A, intermedium 

 were roundish cordate, and apparently shorter in proportion to 

 their length than those of the other species. These statements 

 are erroneous. At that time I had scarcely any knowledge of 

 the true radical leaves — indeed, had probably never seen them. 

 The only tolerably large leaf on my specimen from Berwickshire 

 is not nearly radical, but has a flowering branch springing from 

 its axil; and my other specimens are equally destitute of the 

 lower leaves. My acquaintance with the plant was confined to 

 the possession of a few dry specimens. 



During a recent visit to Caernarvonshire, my friend Mr. New- 

 bould directed my attention to an Arctium which is abundant 

 about Llanberis, and expressed his belief that it is the A. inter- 

 medium. He is to a considerable extent correct in this idea, for 

 it does seem to be TayA. intermedium ; but it is not that of Lange, 

 as is shown by his plate in the * Flora Danica^ (t. 2663). Most 

 probably our A. intermedium is the A, nemorosum of Lejeune. 

 It accords admirably with his character and remarks (Compend. 

 Fl. Belg. iii. 129); its young heads are ^^ovate^' and "floccose," 

 and ultimately become thick and large ; in arrangement they 

 are "interrupte raceraosa subspiciformia ;'' its radical leaves 

 are ^'cordate-oblong;*^ its stem is nearly erect. Thus our plant 

 has all the special characteristics oi A, nemorosum except "foliis 

 utrinque viridibus,** for they are white beneath. We shall there- 

 fore probably be justified, indeed I might say required, to give 

 Lejeune's name to the English A. intermedium. 



Lange^s specimen accords very well with his plate in ' Flora 

 Danica.* It has a very different radical leaf from the supposed 

 A. nemorosum. Were that not the case, they might probably be 

 combined. As I have found the form of those leaves to be very 

 constant, I cannot admit of such a union, although it is suggested 

 by M. Crepin. Reichenbach^s plate of ^. intermedium doubtless 

 represents the true plant. The leaves of A. intermedium are 

 deeply cordate, not cordate-oblong. 



The A. nemorosum has leaves much longer in proportion to 



