280 SHORT NOTES, 



lish no exact locality for fear of its extermination. In consequence 

 of the apparently great decrease in quantity since it was described 

 as " very abundant/' I fear that natural causes have been at work 

 in this direction. It is almost choked by Sphagnum and stunted 

 ling. The plants are thinly scattered, and usually show a single 

 minute leaf about half an inch in diameter, whose petiole barely 

 brings it to the light. It is thus a very inconspicuous species as 

 compared with the plant we were both familiar with in Scotland. 

 No trace of either inflorescence or fructification was visible, and I 

 believe it is impossible any can have occurred this season. In 

 1883 I searched these mountains less carefully, and I can only say 

 I am not surprised that I was then unsuccessful. The only other 

 alpine in the immediate neighbourhood is Car ex rigid a, which I have 

 already recorded from the range (Proc. B. I. A., 2nd ser., vol. iv. 

 No. 3).— H. C. Hart. 



Note on Orobanche. — I am induced to publish this note, as in 

 lately dissecting my specimens of the genus I have determined two 

 species new to our Flora. Although unfortunately it is too late to 

 attempt to gather specimens this year, and dried plants are almost 

 useless to figure from ; yet I should be glad to see any specimens 

 gathered this autumn, and would suggest that a careful search 

 round our rocky coasts next June and July may result in some dis- 

 coveries. But the plants must be in a fresh state for easy discri- 

 mination. A possible third new species to our list is from the 

 Lizard cliffs, Cornwall ; at first sight it resembles 0. rubra, but the 

 flow 7 ers are longer, more spreading, and crimped and wavy at the 

 lips. The plant named by Dr. Boswell as requiring to be again 

 gathered, the supposed 0. lucorum (Koch) A. Braun (ap. Schultz in 

 Annal. d. Gewachsk., v. p. 504, Eegensburg, 1830; Phytologist, ii. 640 

 (1846), I gathered in the original station, and sent fresh examples to 

 Dr. Boswell, and his answer was "certainly O. elatior" In vol. iii. 

 of the Phytologist, p. 603 (1849), footnote, Dr. Bromfield remarks 

 that he has never seen u any of these singular parasites visibly 

 connected with a large and healthy specimen of the species of plant 

 to which they severally attach themselves, but have always found 

 their victim a poor, stunted, flowerless thing, sometimes hardly 

 discernible above ground." This is by no means my own experi- 

 ence. I have seen dozens of specimens in Kent attached to young, 

 well-grown plants of Rubus, Galium, Picris, Ononis, &c. Certainly 

 this was in June and July, and the Orobanches were only partially 

 in full flower; later on it may be different : the only exception I 

 remember was a few specimens of Daucus on the Kentish coast, 

 but they were in an extremely dry situation. I refer entirely 

 to wild plants ; I am, of course, aware of much injury being done 

 to clover fields by Orobanches, and have once or twice seen the 



parasites almost as numerous as the clover itself. — Arthur 

 Bennett. 



New Wilts Plants.— Mr. Arthur Bennett has kindly verified 

 the following which I have found :~Rhynchospora fusca, 5, Land- 

 ford; Carex curta, 10, Whaddon ; Lycopodium inundation, 5, Land- 

 ford. — Edwakd J. Tatum. 



