240 86. GRAMINA. 



of England, and may have been passed by as L. arvense. 

 It seems, indeed, to be the species which has hitherto re- 

 presented the L. arvense of Withering, in the eyes of 

 various continental botanists. Though much resembling 

 the true L. arvense, it appears sufficiently distinct, ac- 

 cording to present and current views of sj)ecies, which 

 have much changed since the age of Linnaeus. Now-a- 

 days the theoretic definition of a species is almost totally 

 disregarded in practice ; any minute differences that can 

 be detected between j)lants, by minds naturally qualified 

 to dwell on little things, and therefore acute in detecting 

 little differences, are very often held sufficient to make a 

 diagnosis between sj)ecies. And the more minute or 

 petty is the difference, the better character does it fre- 

 quently appear to be considered. 



1365, b. Elymus geniculatus, Curt. 



Area [3]. 



Incognit. This is asserted to have been originally 

 brought from a marsh near Gravesend in Kent, by Mr. 

 Dickson. It is now known only in gardens ; and there is 

 difficulty in conceiving that so conspicuous a grass can 

 remain unnoticed, if indigenous and still existent in that 

 locality. I am not aware that it was ever foimd by a se- 

 cond botanist on the coast of Kent; but certainly the 

 grass exists, and looks sufficiently distinct from E. arena- 

 rius in its present garden -habitats. How and where did 

 it really originate ? Has it ever been propagated by seeds 

 in gardens, or always by division only ? The bending of 

 the rigid rachis is not invariable, though very usual ; and 

 if this were the only character, it would be of very little 



