AMENTIFERZ. 245 
ovate or half-cordate. Catkins opening before the leaf-buds, shortly 
stalked or subsessile, with a few small silky leaves on the stalk, oblong- 
cylindrical, dense, but becoming rather Jax in fruit. Catkin-scales 
oblong or obovate, thinly silky-pilose. Stamens 2; filaments free, 
pubescent. Capsule conical-subulate, grey-silky, on a stalk 4 or 5 
times:as long as the nectary; style scarcely any; stigmas short, thick, 
at length cleft. Young branches and buds pubescent, soon becoming 
~ glabrous; leaves pubescent with soft hairs when young. 
Var. a, genuina. 
Leaves oblong-oval or oblong-obovate, slightly hairy. 
Var. 6, major. 
8. versifolia, “Ser. S. p. 40,” Borrer. 
Leaves oblong-obovate, larger than those of var. «, silky on both 
sides. 
. Var. y, spathulata. 
_S. spathulata, Willd. Spec. Pl. Vol. IV. p. 700. 
Leaves oblong-oblanceolate, slightly silky-hairy. 
Var. 6, undulata, 
Leaves oblong-elliptical, slightly hairy. Stipules more distinctly 
stalked, and style longer than in the other vars. 
On gravelly heaths. Rather rare, but widely distributed. Var. a, 
Sussex, Perth; Epping Forest, Essex; Hopton, Suffolk; Aberdeen; 
Inverness; Forfar; Caithness; Orkney; and the Isle of Staffa. 
Var. 6, Hopton, Suffolk; Restennet Moss, near Forfar (now lost by 
drainage). Var. y, Epping Forest; Hopton, Suffolk; and between 
Balnagard and Aberfeldie, Perth. Var. 8, Hopton, Suffolk. Some of 
the forms occur on the north-west side of Ben Buben, Sligo, and on 
hills near Belfast, but I have not scen Irish specimens. 
England, Scotland, Ireland. Shrub. Late Spring. 
A small much-branched shrub, rarely more than 1 to 3 feet high, 
with ascending or procumbent branches. Leaves generally about 
1 inch long, rarely attaining to 2 inches, very similar to those of 
S. aurita, between which and S. repens it is no doubt a hybrid. From 
S. aurita it differs in its smaller size, more rigid, less rugose, flatter 
and less serrated leaves, smaller stipules, and more silky pubescence. 
From S$. repens it is distinguished by its more rugose leaves, less silky 
