THE LIFE AND WORK OF GEORGE DON. 
‘We now believe [the] plant to exist nowhere in a wild state, 
but to be a mere cultivated form of S. graminea. Don culti- 
vated it extensively in his garden at Forfar. “f was 
originally described by Willdenow from a plant it in the Berlin 
gardens, who does not say from whom it was received; but it 
is not even conjectured: to have en from Scotland, and has 
not been found anywhere else. It . increased by 
division, but not by seed, although seed is produced sometimes 
freely. "In the Glasgow Botanic Garden S. graminea 
[springs] up in the vicinity of pots in n which S. ‘scapigera [has 
been] cultivated.” Hooker and Arnott, Brit. Fl., Ed. vii. p. 70. 
" rae ee = segue Syme this is ‘apparently a monstro- 
sity of S. gra whereas Prof, Ba bington ‘can scarcely 
believe this is a meer fe 0 Ss. minal: Prof. Arnott says a 
seeds prodnes he SNe Watson, Comp. Cyb. Brit., 
492, and Cyb. Brit. i, p. 225. 
Ui need be oad doubt that Don found it in the wild state 
_and brought it to his garden. I can find no evidence to support 
Arnott’s statement that it was is extensively cultivated there. It 
should be noted that Arnott does not state positively that its 
seeds produce S. graminea, but merel hist S. graminea comes 
up in the vicinity of S. scapigera, which does not produce itself 
from seeds. — ny Arnott with his opportunities ought to 
have been able say oem whe or no seeds of 
ther 
= scapigera did ae “did not pr S. graminea. If they did, 
it does n 
ot negative Don’s statement that he found it wild. 
S. scapigera is, believe, a monstrous condition of S. graminea, 
but it must hav originated somewhere, and quite as a a 
a highland m i as in a lowla ae garden, and it 
Willdenow, nok Don, who gave it specific rank. 
Lychnis alpina, L. 
“Mr. G. Don . . first made this natn discovery, 
n rocks near the summit of Clova mountai 
August, 1795. The plant is there very ie being Sniy 
found on the most elevated spots We have 
preferred drawin ng Mr. Don’s original aoe though dry, 
to any garden one.” Smith, Eng. Bot., 
“This interesting plant was first choose on eee 
Culrannoch] by the indefatigable G. Don.” Gardiner, ae 
Forfar., p. 28. 
“We have strong reasons for thinking that the plant was 
sown there [on Culrannoch] about sixty years ago.” Hooker 
and Arnott, Brit. Fl., Ed. vi. p.61. Although the name of Don 
is not mentioned, from the date se put to Don’s time, it 
evidently is meant to suggest him 
“ Discovered by the late G. Don and db 
Graham and others on the summit of a hill walled Lite 
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