﻿level, and was not thought of aa a possible factor (though I recollect 

 once finding it at 2500 ft.). The very soft and subentire leaves of 

 the hybrid suggested S. Lapponum as a likely constituent, — only to 

 be dismissed on other grounds; but these leaf-characters are well 

 accounted for by the presence of S. Caprea, which, though crenate- 

 leaved or crenate-serrate even in the lowlands, has usually entire 

 and very velvety leaves at a high altitude. S. Myrsinites would be 

 thought by no means obvious in the plant; yet to anyone familiar 

 with the symptoms of its presence in composition it is obvious 

 enough, and I have never doubted its being one of the component 

 parts in this case. 



The other willow (No. 49) was gathered on Little Craigindal, 

 S. Aberdeen, and supposed at first to be 6'. herbacm x Lapronnm. 

 As soon as the plant developed and produced catkins, it became 

 clear that this was not the true solution. S. herbacea x Myrsinites 

 has also been suggested, with more show of fitness ; the more so as 

 the Rev. W. R. Linton has a male plant of tbis hybrid in culti- 

 vation, obtained from the same locality on the same visit. But for 

 No. 49 there are distinct objections to such a theory. While 

 8. herbacea is one parent for certain, assuming the plant to be a 

 hybrid, the style, the scale, the nectary, indeed the look of the 

 whole catkin, also the colouring of the leaf on both sides and its 

 serration and clothing, give evidence that is opposed to S. Myrsi- 

 nites h iving anything to do with it; but every detail fits in with the 

 view I formed a year or two ago, that 8. repens is the other parent ; 

 and many subsequent examinations have strongly confirmed me in 

 tins view. Having two or three living plants of S. herb,,, a 

 Myrsinites from different localities, I have been able to compare 

 them from time to time with No. 49, and so work out the differ- 

 ences. For this new willow I propose the name cernua, in reference 

 to its habit of keeping low down on the ground ; giving it a name, 

 in view of the only alternative that I think possible, viz., that it is 

 a new species ; as it would have been regarded, not many years 

 back, there being no other species under which it could be ranged 



S. cernua, n. hybr. vel n. sp. Stems slender, prostrate or 

 creeping; leaves fr-f in. long, ovate or broadly or narrowly elliptic, 

 with the tip blunt in the earliest leaves, acute and twisted in the 

 later, more or less pubescent on both sides with oppressed h/iirs or 

 glabrescent above, green on the upper surface and somewhat 

 shining, opaque green or glaucous beneath, serrate or crenate-serrate, 

 the serrations rather few and distant. Catkins about | in. long, on 

 longer or shorter leafy peduncles; ovaries ovate-conic and grey- 

 green while young, ovate-lanceolate, rather long and reddish later, 

 moderately pubescent; scales pale green, concolorous, obovate- 

 oblong or oblong, blunt, somewhat involvent, subglabrous, ciliate ; 

 nectaries linear-oblong, at first exceeding and afterwards much 

 exceeded by the elongating pedicels; styles moderate; stigmas rather 

 large, dividing. 



The italics above draw attention to characters that seem to show 

 modification by S. repens. There are one or two other points of the 



