{September, 1857.] 19S 



GLADIOLUS COMMUNIS. 



To the Editor of the ' Phytologist.' 



Allesley Eectory, July 4, 1857. 

 Sir^ — Allow me to ask whether botanists are aware that Gla- 

 diolus communis has any pretensions to be considered a native, 

 or, to say the least, a naturalized species in Britain? I have 

 lately been informed, on authority which I cannot doubt, that 

 the Cornflag occurs plentifully in several spots in the New Forest, 

 in the neighbourhood of Lyndhurst, and that it is apparently 

 wild there, — I mean sufficiently remote from any dwelling to 

 obviate the suspicion of its being a mere stray from the garden. 

 I hope ere long to hear more on the subject. If the Gladiolus 

 be really a native, or if it has for any length of time been natu- 

 ralized in the above locality, it certainly is strange that so hand- 

 some and conspicuous a plant should not have attracted the no- 

 tice of botanists before. 



W. T. Bree. 



To the Editor of the ' Phytologist.' 



Henfield, July 9, 1857. 

 Sir, — I think you will like to make public the occurrence of a 

 Gladiolus {G. imbricatus, Linn., I believe), as a British plant. 

 It was observed last year in the New Forest, Hants, by the Rev. 

 W. H. Lucas, under whose guidance I had the pleasure of seeing 

 it in its native places in the middle of the last month, but about 

 a week too early for the flowers, I will copy for you Mr. Lucas's 

 account of the stations, and will only add that the plant has all 

 the appearance of being truly wild, and that I expect it will be 

 found in other parts of the Forest, if looked for among the Brakes, 

 which overtop it when in flower. 



Your obedient servant, 



W. BOREER. 



" The Gladiolus grows in considerable numbers on both sides 

 of the road from Bolderwood to Lyndhurst, about a mile from 

 the latter place; also along a green path extending south-east 

 from the turnpike on the road from Lyndhui'st to Christchurch 

 (two miles from the former), towards a new enclosure near Rhine- 



N. S. VOL. II. 2 c 



