192 SOME BOTANICAL RECORDS. 



with ours for ricliness in trifoliums. This is only one instance, 

 albeit a very striking one, of what nature has done for us along- 

 certain lines. 



Of the twenty-six species of Ranunculi scattered over Great 

 Britain, twenty-one are already known west of the Tamar, and 

 many of them were collected by me last summer. Thirteen out of 

 the fourteen British species of Hypericums have been observed 

 along our highways and byeways ; and of the nine Linarias named 

 in the " London Catalogue " I have gathered no fewer than eight 

 between Fowey and Falmouth. The distribution of these eight 

 kinds of Linarias is not the least interesting feature about their 

 occurrence. In Cornwall Lina/ria supina is now only found at 

 Par, where, at one particular spot, it literally abounds, and 

 sparingly at Menheniot. To my own certain knowledge tens of 

 thousands of plants have blossomed at Par during the past 

 two years. Lina/ria elatina is fairly well diffused over the 

 county, but, save in the Ponsanooth district, it is nowhere a 

 common weed. The same thing applies to Lina/ria spuria. 

 Met with here and there from East to West Cornwall, it 

 attains its maximum frequency only in the Eoseland district. 

 Lina/ria viscida and Linaria repens are equally erratic in their 

 distribution. At Falmouth Railway Station the former may be 

 gathered without the slightest risk of extermination ; yet one 

 may travel many a week without again meeting it. It has 

 occurred at the Lizard, at Helston, at Perranwell, near Truro, 

 at Liskeard, Looe, and in one or two other places, but in only a 

 few of these localities does it grow in any quantity. Through- 

 out Mabe, and in one or two of the adjacent parishes, Linaria 

 repens is such a common plant that the district may be 

 regarded as its Cornish centre. Outside this area it is but 

 rarely found, although, by a curious twist in the laws govern- 

 ing plant distribution, I recently came upon a thriving colony 

 as far afield as. Par. About five years ago the late Mr. E. 

 A. Wxinsch F.G.S., discovered a batch making a hard struggle 

 for existence on an old mine heap on the north border of 

 the parish of Grwennap. Linaria purpwrea is perhaps the most 

 capricious of this interesting genus in its appearance. A few 

 plants at Saltash, St. G-ermans and Fowey, are all that I find on 

 my list. 



