74 Mr. Stuart's Account of some rare Plants. 



below Melrose cauld, and stated that, in his opinion, the 

 bur-like pods had been brought from the south and from 

 other countries to the district along with the wool manu- 

 factured at Galashiels and elsewhere. This view was strongly 

 supported by the fact that these plants occurred only in the bed 

 or on the banks of the stream ; and, considering the number 

 which has been since found in like situations on the Gala, 

 Tweed, Ettrick, Teviot, and Jed, I have no hesitation in 

 saying that this opinion or theory is correct. Afterwards, 

 when walking along the banks of the Tweed and Gala, I 

 picked up what I took to be another species of Medicago ; 

 but Professor Balfour tells me, that Mr. Bentham agrees with 

 him in considering it only a small and peculiar variety of 

 M. denticulata ; its habit and appearance, however, even 

 when growing, are very different from the normal form, and 

 it may probably be the variety, M. apiculata, although the 

 spines are a little hooked. I have looked over all the English 

 Medicagos in the Edinburgh University Herbarium, and seen 

 nothing there in the least resembling it. I found also both 

 the other Medicagos in great abundance, and though the 

 peculiar one mustered in great force in some places, it was 

 not quite so abundant as either of the others. 



Xanthium spinostjm I found below the cauld at Melrose. 

 This plant was so determined by Professor Balfour ; and on 

 reference to English Botany, Vol. V., it appears to have been 

 found before at Hereford by Dr. H. Bull and Mr. G. S. 

 Wintle, and by the first named gentleman in Wales. Pro- 

 fessor Balfour and his party found it this year at Dumfries. 

 Mr. Syme, F.L.S., says, "it is too tender to have any chance 

 of becoming permanently naturalised in Britain." 



Tilljea. — In two or three places on the banks of the Gala 

 I found a plant agreeing in every respect with this genus. 

 It has 4 sepals united at the base ; corolla of 4 petals, free 

 from each other ; stamens 4 ; I cannot distinguish any 

 hypogynous scales at the base of the carpels, but as I have 

 not had it under any glass more powerful than an ordinary 

 lens, they may still possibly be present ; however, as they 

 are not a constant character, their presence or absence is 

 immaterial ; follicles 4, distinct, 2 or many seeded. 



There is only one British species, viz., Tillcea muscosa, L., 

 a very rare plant found only in one or two places in the south 

 of England ; but as my plants differ in many respects from the 

 descriptions of muscosa which I have seen, and also from the 



