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Notice of the Discovery of Psamma Baltica, (the Baltic 

 Sand Beed), on the Coast of Northumberland. By 

 James Hardy. 



During the present season, a fine new British grass — 

 Psamma Baltica — has unexpectedly been brought to light, 

 growing in abundance on Ross sands, opposite to Holy 

 Island. The botanical public has to thank for this discovery, 

 the Club's veteran friend, Mr William Richardson, of Aln- 

 wick. He plucked it in 1871 when crossing Ross Links 

 from Holy Island; and on a subsequent visit in August, 1872, 

 ascertained that it occupied, with intervals, an area of from 

 two to three miles in length. For specimens I am indebted 

 to Mr Richardson and to our President. It is a more robust 

 plant, and taller than the common sea-reed (arenaria) ; the 

 spike is loose, and not compact as in arenaria, and is longer, 

 and stouter, thickest in the middle, tapering upwards, some- 

 what pendulous at the top, reddish-green coloured; rather 

 more like the panicle of Calamagrostis epigejos than that of 

 Ps. arenaria. The glumes are long and acute. The leaf is 

 involute, roundish. The spike in the examples is 9 inches 

 long ; the hinder side is paler and greener than the polished 

 side facing the sun. The differential characters are less 

 obvious than the striking peculiarity of habit in the panicle. 



But besides its novelty to us, Ps. Baltica has another sort 

 of interest. Several recent German botanists are of opinion 

 that it is not a true species, but a hybrid between Psamma 

 arenaria and Calamagrostis epigejos. This view was first 

 advanced by v. Roeper, in " Flora Mecklenburgs," II., p. 

 192 ; and has been supported by Marsson, " Flora von Neu- 

 Vorpommern," p. 562, 1869, who mentions, and names 

 intermediate forms. Professor Fr. Buchenau, in the " Ab- 

 handlungen Nat. Vereine zu Bremen," 1870, p. 212, treating 

 of the Flora of the Islands of East-Friesland, inclines to this 

 side also. A fact on which these authors much rely, is that 

 Ps. Baltica rarely perfects its seeds. Dr Buchenau having 

 gathered both Ps. arenaria and Ps. Baltica in blossom, gives 

 the result of his examination, which he thinks is decisive 

 of the bastard nature of the latter. In arenaria the stamens 

 are very stoutly developed, and the anthers hang on all 

 sides in crowds out of the centre of the corolla ; in Baltica, 

 one never sees more than a few solitary anthers, small-sized, 



