384 Bihliograjihical Notices, 



genus to be really variable ; but a well-practised eye is requisite to 

 disregard deviations from extrinsic causes. Ceratophyllum platy- 

 acanthum ((yham.) is given as a var., although not seen in Britain : is 

 the true plant meant ? our Authors call theirs common in Germany, 

 but Koch gives only Berlin for Chamisso's plant : further, no mention 

 is made of the wing to the whole striated fruit and the different in- 

 sertion and direction of the spines. Sisyrinchium anceps is rejected 

 as not possibly European ; yet there is every reason to believe it na- 

 tive in Ireland ; and the same theory would affect Splranthes cernua 

 and (scarcely less) Spartina alternijlora. Luzula multiflora is joined 

 to L. campestris ; but the remark is precisely the old one on the var, 

 congesta : probably each species has such a variety. We suspect there 

 would be less confusion respecting the fruits of Potamogetons if they 

 were dried more carefully : a greater or less degree of pressure changes 

 them greatly, and sometimes creates false ridges. There is no allusion 

 to Carex brizoides, the occurrence of which in Yorkshire was recorded 

 some time ago in our pages. C. stricta is still called C. cces^ntosa, and 

 Fries' s character of his C. ccespitosa added : it is apparently taken 

 from Mr. Babington's Manual with a change of terms : at least two 

 independent writers could scarcely both translate " fructibus obtusis" 

 by " fruit acute" : we may add that Fries' s plant has the basal sheaths 

 terete, not keeled, and the fruit-bearing stems flaccid, not rigid, and is 

 altogether much slenderer than C. stricta. Our Authors further doubt 

 whether the Clova C. aquatilis be the plant of Wahlenberg, and are 

 inclined to refer it to Fries' s C. ccBspitosa : but, first. Hooker and 

 Arnott themselves speak of " fruit broader than glumes," and Ba- 

 bington of " glumes always narrower than fruit," just as Fries does ; 

 Fries also says that Wahlenberg' s plant varies from 1^ to 6 feet high : 

 secondly, our C. aquatilis cannot be C. ccespitosa (" L." Fr.), for the 

 former has sheaths always leafy, the latter sheaths never leafy : they 

 are placed in different sections by Fries. Poa (Sclerochloa) Borreri 

 cannot be a hybrid between P. distans and procumhens ; for it occurs 

 in Norway, Sweden and Lapland, where P. procumhens is not found. 

 Neither is there reason for doubting Mitten's Triticum hiflorum to be 

 Brignoli's plant. We cannot at all understand what the Authors mean 

 by the first two vars. of Aspidium spimdosmn : and with regard to 

 L. Foenisecii, the possibility of Mr. Lowe having given Dr. Lemann 

 wrong specimens cannot invalidate the testimony of those of Dr. Lip- 

 pold or the worth of the known plant as a species. 



We have by this time said enough to show that this new edition of 

 the * British Flora' has many recommendations and many drawbacks. 

 It would be unreasonable to expect a work of this nature to be totally 

 free from errors ; and where there is so much really laudable and 

 valuable, we would on no account dwell heavily on blemishes which 

 it is yet impossible not to see. It is scarcely necessary to add, in 

 speaking of a book bearing Sir W. J. Hooker's name, that nothing 

 can exceed the forbearance, gentleness, and courtesy of tone and lan- 

 guage displayed towards all botanists, however they may differ in 

 opinion. 



