336 THE JOURNAL OF BOTANY 
Messrs. Rendle an nd Britten ee poms pointed out to me a 
reference by Linnzus (Fl. Angl. 1754) to our common melic-grass 
in Ray’s Synopsis, which m hint be Sap pe as indicating that 
Linneus, in 1754, regarded our common species as the type. 
There are, however, two reasons for not regarding this reference 
as of prime importance. First, there is no reference in the Species 
Rules, ad rem. The hatee i in this regard, oi orm ay n not be reason- 
able, but uy are — Secondly, it is Leruenaae that Linnzus 
only meant that our common plant was to be included under his 
M. nutans asa qaneky ; and this indeed vedi appear to be the view 
taken by subsequent editors of the works of Linnzus, as some of 
them quote the full reference to Retzius’s species M. wniflora in 
this way. Schreber (Beschr. Gras. p. 62, 1769) also separates our 
common plant as a variety; and Hudson, in the first edition of 
the variety would indicate that Hudson had not, at this date 
a clear conception of the two segregates, or, at least, of their 
ee eevee nee bs 
Messrs. Rendle and Britten (in Journ. Bot. 1907, p. 444) 
briefly explain their position by the remark that they follow 
Hudson because he was the first to distinguish the species. i a 
the brevity of the statement is responsible for its appar 
ambiguity. Are we to understand that Messrs. Rendle and Britton 
a 
cannot be invalid under any circumstances? In my judgment, 
Hudson ought not, in this case, to be followed, as his M. nutans 
is not the fhe of the M. nutans of Linneus. 
e general result is ie r. The Linnean name 
M. nutans Hon be given to our northern species; and, as Hud- 
son’s name M. nutans is therefore not available for our cane? 
pecies, we must ee a the earliest valid n ome This is 
Melica uniflora (Retz a fase. 1, p. 10, 1779). ‘Retin 
evidently went oes “the matter of the Melicas st carefully, for 
he tells us that amined more a thousand specimens, and 
that the two specks e from seed. If my judgement be 
correct, therefore, the paobee Pallogatie of names is that in Druce’s 
