BRITISH SPECIES AND SUBSPECIES OF POLYGALA, 169 
1. Potyeata votearis, Linn. 
Stems wiry, ascending or decumbent. Leaves from ovate to lan 
ceolate ; * thous on the upper portions of the branches often linear‘lan- 
midal and moderately areata belo bract an pee shorter 
is species occurs throughout Europe, as far north as Scandinavia, 
being absent only from ene (according to Caruel), where it seems to 
be replaced by P. Preslt ; in Morocco and other western districts of 
orth Africa; and in western temperate and sub-arctic Asia. Its 
habitat is grassy situations and on heaths and hillsides up to a 
considerable altitude ery: 3000 feet in the Highlands, more on 
the Continent). The flowers are most usually blue, especially on the 
Continent ; though in this country white, pink, lilac, and purple are 
The following are the varieties or sub-species which offer the most 
marked ee although, as before mentioned, it is impossible 
to draw any s e between them. e seven varieties 
De cpr Prodromus ” are of v very unequal — the majority 
appear to be mere in ual forms, while y. elat is 2. comosa, 
Sehkubr, dal 0. Sasser probably P. rosea, Dem 
Var.1. genuina, Engl. Bot., 3rd ed., vol. ii., p. 35; subsp. 
vulgaris proper, var. 1, Hook. Stud. Ph a oe my » P- 48; P. vul- 
garis auctorum. Branches erect or ascending, s traight ; upper leaves 
lanceolate ; racemes 10-20- ewer ‘eens vest about as lon ng as 
the flowering mate veins of win. ees anastomosing copiously ; 
t. nobles f. 1; Benth. Hand. Brit. Flor., vol. i i; p: 99, 
t. 124; ere ig Hie oe t. clxxxv. (flowers somewhat 
too lar, { Tab. 189, fig. 1. 
It is difficult t to ‘dictinguish the distribution of this variety from 
that of the entire species ; but it is probably the most widely distri- 
buted form 
Var 2. depressa, Engl. Bot., 3rd ed., vol. ii., p. 38; Bab. Man., 
7th ed., p- 44; Hook. Stud. Flor., p. 40. Ff. a Wenderoth 
* The references to Hooker’s ‘‘ Student’s Flora” are always, unless otherwise 
re pereeaniph ey gr not yet published, but of which the author has been 
