SCIENCE- G OSSIP 



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Botany* 



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Plants of South Hants and Dorset. — A 

 Flora of the Bournemouth district has been com- 

 piled by the Eev. E. F. Linton, M.A. Mr. Linton's 

 position as a botanist is a guarantee for the cor- 

 rectness of the information therein contained. 



A London Field-Botany Club. — Several of 

 our readers have from time to time suggested that 

 a Field-Botanists' Club should be formed in con- 

 nection with Science-Gossip. The Editor will be 

 pleased to hear from any persons who would care 

 to join such a club. Only a nominal subscription 

 of One Shilling per Annum would be required, and 

 meetings might be held either once or twice a 

 month. We are not aware of any place in London 

 where those interested in the study of Field-Botany 

 can meet wholly for the purpose of discussing 

 plants, their characteristics, habits, and identifi- 

 cation. Another object of the Club will be to 

 facilitate exchange of specimens between the 

 members ; also to assist and encourage those who 

 are commencing the study of field or structural 

 botany. The idea is to give facilities for chatty 

 intercommunication between botanists residing 

 or visiting London. On receiving a sufficient 

 number of names, the Editor of Science-Gossip 

 will call a meeting to discuss the proposal. — 

 Send name and address to John T. Carrington, 

 110 Strand. London, W.C. 



Lungwort in Hants. — Puhnonaria angustifolia 

 was, at Easter time, in fine blossom, both in a cop- 

 pice and some hedgerows a little to the south-west 

 of Sway station, on the Bournemouth direct line 

 in Hampshire. Apparently those plants that grew 

 in the hedgerows, bordering some moist meadows, 

 were relics of the flora of the woodlands that 

 formerly covered this district. — James Saunders., 

 A.L.S., Luton. 



Potamogeton rutilus in Sussex. — Among 

 the rarer plants found by me in Sussex is Potamoge- 

 ton rutilus from near Eye. It is probably the only 

 station now remaining in Britain where it is known 

 certainly to occur. Mr. A. Bennett recently re- 

 ferred to my finding this plant in the " Journal of 

 Botany." — Thomas Hilton. Brighton. 



Abnormal Cowslip Flower. — I send you here- 

 with a very curious aborted specimen of cow- 

 slip {Primula veris), gathered here yesterday in 

 rough pasture ground. There are about a dozen 

 flowers in the " umbel," two being very large. In 

 every case both calyx and corolla appear to be 

 represented by green leaflets, among which the ill- 

 developed pistils or stamens can be seen. There 

 is not the slightest trace of the yellow colour so 

 conspicuous in the normal cowslip flower. — Frank 

 Si rh. junior, Niton, Isle of Wight, May \%th, 1900. 



Prunus cerasifera, new to Britain. — 

 The new Prunus discovered near Hemel Hemp- 

 stead in Hertfordshire, and about which an article 

 appeared in your issue of June 1899 (Science-GoSSIP, 

 N.S., vol. vi. p. 14), proves to be Primus cerasifera. 



I am just in receipt of a letter from Mr. George 

 Nicholson, Curator of the Royal Gardens, Kew, say- 

 ing that it is probably .a native of the Caucasus. 

 Last year some specimens were removed to Kew 

 Gardens for observation. It is now in full bloom, 

 and I shall be pleased to indicate the spots to any 

 of your readers who may wish to procure specimens. 

 It blossoms some weeks earlier than the " sloe," 

 and is from this fact alone an interesting addition 

 to our flora. — B. Piffard, Hemel 'Hempstead, April 

 20th, 1900 



Salicornia appressa in Sussex. — This plant, 

 hitherto only recorded as occurring as British in 

 the county of Kent, I found last year growing on 

 the Sussex coast, a long distance from Kent. It 

 is a most interesting find, as this addition to our 

 county flora is also an indication that its range is 

 wider in the South of England than hitherto sup- 

 posed. I have to thank the Rev. E. S. Marshall, 

 joint author of the " Flora of Kent," for checking 

 my identification. He says : " Yes, they are fine 

 specimens of Salicornia appressa, and exactly 

 similar to my Kent plants." — Thomas Hilton, 16 

 Kensington Place, Brighton, April 3rd, 1900. 



SlLENE ITALICA in SUSSEX. — On several occa- 

 sions during last summer I found flowering and 

 fruiting plants of the rare Silene italica, or Italian 

 catchfly, on the Sussex downs in the neighbourhood 

 of Newmarket Hill. At the time they were over- 

 looked for Silene nutans, but I have since heard 

 from my friend Mr. Thomas Hilton, of Brighton, 

 that he has found specimens in two other stations 

 on the downs, also east of Brighton. As the plants 

 are not uncommon and well established, far distant 

 from any influence likely to have caused their 

 introduction, the Silene italica growing on the 

 Sussex downs may be looked upon as truly native. 

 We should, I think, now consider this species as a 

 native British plant ; it has not thus generally 

 been hitherto ranked. If any botanist will write 

 to me on the subject, I shall be pleased to indicate 

 the habitat. — John T. Carrington. 110 Strand, 

 London, W.C, Mag 1900. 



Cerastium arcticum, var. Edmondstonii. — In 

 the annual report of the Botanical Exchange Club 

 is a note upon the variety edmondstonii Beeby of 

 Cerastium arcticum, Lange. It is from the pen 

 of Mr. W. H. Beeby, who says : — " When I first 

 gathered this plant in 1886 I brought home rout-, 

 and, being very desirous of growing it. also a bag 

 of its native soil. Under these conditions it main- 

 tained the dark purplish-copper colour of its foliage 

 fairly well, until the plants were lost in a removal 

 some few years later. In 1897 and 1898 I brought 

 home seeds and roots, and have the plants growing 

 this time, not in their native soil, but in a mixture 

 of Surrey soils. These plants have entirely lost 

 their original colour, and have become completely 

 green; so that it appears that the only character 

 which separates this variety from the type is merely 

 temporary, and due to habitat. The serpentine 

 gravels of. Unst contain a number of minerals. 

 notably chromate of iron, and the colour of the 

 leaves may probably be due to the influence of one 

 of them. The Cerastium is by no means the only 

 plant growing on these hills which is affected in 

 this way. J. M. Norman's ' ('. latifoliwm ' is, of 

 course. C. arcticum (C. hit i folium proper not being 

 known in Scandinavia or other boreal countries)', 

 consequently his referenceof C.arcticum toahybrid 

 C. alpmum x ('. latifoliuvi is mythical." 



