NOTES ON LIMONIUM 



25 



I have examined examples of this variety from v.-c. 5 Somerset 

 North, Bimbeck Island, Weston-super-Mare ! 1896, D. Fry (Herb. 

 J. W. White), v.-c. 52 Anglesey, Red Wharf Bay ! 1858, S. H. 

 Bickham, and from Dublin, Sutton side of Howth ! 1868, ex 

 herb. H. G. Carroll (Herb. Dublin) ; these plants have a slightly 

 different aspect from the Ormes Head specimens. 



L. BINERVOSUM Var. HUMILIS. 



Statice reticulata Hooker! Fl. Scotica, 97 (1821) (non ah). 

 S. spathulata Hooker ! Brit. Fl. 145 (1830) (pro parte, non al.). 

 S. Dodartii Gir. var. humilis Gir. in Ann. Sc. Nat. Ser. 2, xvii. 

 # 33 (1842). 



This is the plant referred to in Journ. Bot. 1903, 73, which may 

 now be distinguished by the above name ; the following characters 

 serve to keep it apart from typical S. binervosum, omitting charac- 

 teristics common to both. 



Plant varying in height from 2-3 inches (the humilis of Girard) 

 to 10-15 inches. Leaves, recalling in shape those of L. recurvum, 

 always small, narrow and long-petioled, with petiole as long as or 

 longer than blade, oblanceolate-spathulate or more oblong, usually 

 obtusely-pointed or rounded and not apiculate, 1-3-veiued; in small 

 specimens, \ inch long and £ inch wide, in large 1-1J inches long 

 and usually less than \ inch wide. Scape slender, rather smooth, 

 hardly tapering, erect or occasionally arcuate, branched from quite 

 near base with a good many barren branches (rarely none). 

 Branches and branchlets usually erect. Spikes distant, erect, rather 

 long, narrow and loose-flowered (in small specimens, shorter, 

 broader and more spreading and close together in a terminal 

 corymb). Spikelets arranged rather laxly (more closely in small 

 specimens), 2-3-flowered. Outer bract l£-lf lines long and appa- 

 rently always green and not tiuged with purple; shape, &c, as in 

 binervosum, but longer in proportion to inner bract than in that 

 species. Middle bract \\ lines long, otherwise as in binervosum. 

 Inner bract 2|-2| lines long, coloured as outer bract, and more 

 elliptical -ovate than the obovate shape in binerrosum. 



In accordance with the Vienna rulings, Girard's name humilis 

 must stand for this variety ; it is an unfortunate one for a plant 

 attaining a foot or more in height, but Girard only saw examples 

 2-3 inches high. Moreover, he placed the variety under his 

 S. Dodartii, a species I have not yet seen from any part of Britain, 



So far, I have failed to find this variety amongst some hundreds 

 of examples of L. binervosum from various localities in England, 

 Wales, Ireland and the Continent, so at present it seems known 

 only from Scotland. 



The variety may be known at a glance by its small, narrow, 

 long-petioled leaves and long, narrow, erect spikes, and, on closer 

 inspection, by its outer and inner bract characters. 



Distribution. — 74. Wigtown. Mull of Galloway ! 1823. Qoldie 

 (Herb. Kew) ; still existing there in one small patch. — *88* Edin- 

 burgh. Near Cramond! 1842. G. W. Moyle (Herb* W. Movie 

 Kogers) ; said to be now lost. 



