﻿368 NOTES ON BRITISH PLANTS. 



Benth. Cat. PL Pyren. 163 (1826). S. auricuUfolia Vahl ex Hook. f. 

 Stud. Fl. ed. 3, 259 (1884). 8. Dodartii Gir. and 8. occidental™ 

 Lloyd ; Bab. Man. ed. 8, 294 (1881). 8. binenmsa G. E. Sm. a. oc- 

 cidmtalis, fi. intermedia, ? y. Dodartii Syme Eng. Bot. 7, 164 (1867). 



The above is a fair sample of the contradictory nomenclature 

 that our plant has passed through since separated by G. E. Smith 

 in 1829. 



How is it possible for an ordinary British botanist to understand 

 the naming of this plant? We have here some of our b *t and 

 most acute botanists using entirely different names, if not meaning 

 different plants. 



Sir J. D. Hooker, in Stud. Flora, ed. 3, savs that " Boissier 

 (who has examined Vahl's plant) refers this (in herb. Hook.) to 

 auriahEfnlia, and in DC. Prod, he refers the latter to his o.-V^/V 



Nyman says that 8. auriculafolla Benth. = 8. (Hrardiaw Guss. : 

 and >\ ourk-uhrfolia Vahl = >'. densijU.ra Guss. = S. oxylepis Boiss. 

 He gives neither as British, yet uses Gussone's name, which must 

 be some twelve years after Vahl's ; and for our British plant uses 

 Lloyd's name (1844). 



There can be no pretence for saying that Smith's name in- 

 cluded Dodartii, as his specimens were closely localised, and I have 

 gathered his plant at his stations myself. 



Statice is a difficult genus. The species are closely allied in 

 many of its sections, and one who has studied the genus as Boissier 

 haa is entitled to great deference ; but I do not think he should be 

 Mindly followed when there is any doubt, as there is in this case. 



Brebisson (Fl. Normandie) gives 3 for this species, 1 for Limonium, 

 and 3-5 for oval i folia Poir. In specimens from " Cliffs on the E . side 

 of Great Orme's Head," gathered by Mr. C. Bailey, the leaves are 

 unusually thin ; they are 5-veined, and there are lateral veins both 

 from the medial one and the others that connect the veins, and 

 slightly anastomose. In authentic specimens of S. Behen Drejer 

 there is only one principal vein (i.e. the medial one), the others 

 being wholly lateral, again sending off laterals, being dispersed and 

 anastomosing all over the leaf. 



The drawings of the leaves of the two species given by G. E. 

 Smith show the difference better than any other British plates 

 I know of; but that of " cordata" (binervosa) is shown with three 

 ribbed veins only, though he mentions five as occurring sometimes, 

 and no laterals; which is correct only on very young or small leaves. 

 Being held before a strong light, the laterals will be seen in a large 

 proportion of the leaves, although very different in appearance from 

 S. Limonium. 



S. Dodartii Girard, Ann. Sciences Nat. ser. 2, xvii. p. 31 (1842). 

 I cannot separate authentic specimens from the Abbe Letendre, from 

 specimens from Hilbre Island, Cheshire (R. Brown). These I had 

 named "v. intermedia Syme," and to me this variety presents a gra- 

 dation of forms, at the one end representing S. Dodartii, and at the 

 other almost occidental Lloyd ; and other botanists are gradually 

 coming to this opinion. On this see Dr. F. A. Lees's remarks in Rep, 



