46 Pickanl: Undescribed Wiriety of British Cistus. 



Reichenbach in his ' Flora Germanicce et Helveticae ' describes 

 two states of Heliantherninn viilgare, Gajrt. (the Chanicecistiis , 

 Miller, of the present ' London Catalog-ue '), these being- — 



a. discolor (Fii^ure 4,547). 



b. concolor. 



The concolorous variety of Germany would seem to be what in 

 this island is the prevailing- type, although there the exception 

 rather than the rule. The variety I have to introduce has 

 crimson-specked petals, and is the discolor of Reich, usual in 

 Germany, as given above. I found it first in Aug-ust 1902 on banks 

 to the east of Hetchell Crag's, between Thorner and Bardsey, in 

 Mid-west York. Later I detected the same plant on Skirethorns 

 Warren, near Kilnsey, and a few specimens in Bastow Wood, 

 Grassing^ton, in Mid-Wharfedale. After picking- the first striking- 

 examples I have looked for it in what I thought to be likely-soiled 

 areas about Silverdale, Arnside, and some other places on lime- 

 stone, on the supposition that some chemical quality in the soil 

 mig-ht account for its evolution, but, needless to say, in vain. 

 Further, I am informed by Dr. Lees that the other red-spot 

 species of HelidJifhemiiDi are mainly associated with sand and 

 marine influences. The technical definition of my plant is 

 as follows: — Heliantlieinuin Chania'cishis, Mill., var. discolor, 

 Reich. (Icones 4,547). Leaves larger, more elongate-lanceo- 

 late than the English type, silvery felted beneath ; sepals as 

 in type, but tending to be flushed with pink. Petals maculate 

 with blood-orange at base, and more or less specked with 

 carmine at apex, both features retaining their coloration when 

 dried. The Kilnsey plant is not so deeply maculate as the 

 lime-soiled plant oi Hetchell, but alkaline dolomitic soil can 

 hardlv be the effective factor, seeing that there is the vegetal 

 colouring principle xanthophyll in Helianthemum as in Hyperi- 

 cum, which tends to concentrate the orange-yellow into red in 

 the like-hued petals of both orders under the influence of 

 direct sunlight, and the nitrogenous acid always found in rain- 

 water. 



From the evolutionary aspect, however, it is almost more 

 than singular that this varietal item in our Flora should turn up 

 in the identical district of Skirethorns and Grass Wood, which 

 in 1883, 1890, and 1902 has yielded another lime-soil variety, 

 the smaller blue Milkwort {Polygala austriuca, Crantz, var. 

 amara-depressa), a lesser, perhaps hybrid, race of the rosetted 

 P. amara, Linn., known as British, in Kent, Surrey, and on 

 Cronkley Fell, North 'S'orkshire. 



Naturalist, 



