SHORT NOTES 231 



hardly be described as " erect or suberect " ; in the majority of 

 cases it makes a low-lying mat on the ground, the stems only 

 ascending, at the most. The seed of our M. lamprosjMrma is 

 certainly smaller than that of M. fontana L. ; not larger, as the 

 descriptions quoted by Druce (B.E.C. Eeport, 1908, pp. 330-1) 

 state ; it is less in breadth and in thickness. Mr. Druce silently 

 admits this by omitting " larger " in Hayward, p. 39. It seems, 

 then, that we have a slight form of M. lamprosjjerma, and not 

 quite the type, at any rate, as far as my specimens so. Again, 

 sometimes the seed of M. lamprosijerma is almost as dull black as 

 that of the other species, and the tubercles of M. fontana vary on 

 different seeds from the same plant, being much reduced in size. 

 It is clear that there are several intermediate forms — H. J. 



ElDDELSDELL. 



Stellaria Dilleniana Moench. (= S. palustris Eetzius = 

 S. cjlauca Withering). See Journ. Bot. p. 223 (1910) ; Bot. Exch. 

 Club Eep. for 1910, p. 516 (1911) ; Neio Phytologist, p. 309 (1911). 

 Three forms (at least) of this species occur on Woodwalton Fen, 

 Huntingdonshire: — (1) a glaucous form with large flowers (i.e., 

 petals about 1| times as long as the sepals) ; (2) a green form with 

 large flowers ; and (3) a green form with small flowers (z. e., petals 

 about as long as the sepals). In view of the emphasis which has 

 been placed on the time of flowering of the green forms, it is 

 interesting to record that all three of the forms mentioned above 

 were in full flower in this locality on June 5th last. The second 

 form was abundant, the first and third much less common. — 

 C. E. Moss. 



Valerianella eriocarpa Desv. in the Isle of Wight. — 

 In the list of Hants plants in Watson's New Botanists' Guide 

 (1835) is included '' Fedia eriocarpa, Isle of Wight, G. E. Smith, 

 MSS." Whether or not the correctness of this record has ever 

 been, or can now be, ascertained, I do not know, but Watson, in 

 the Cybele Britannica (1840), says : " The other recorded localities 

 for Fedia eriocarpa in Yorkshire and Isle of Wight belong to 

 F. mixta.'' The Yorkshire locality is, I presume, that given in 

 the Supplement to the Neio Botanists' Guide, namely, " Marrick 

 Park near Eichmond, J. Ward, sp." There seems to be no other 

 record of the occurrence of the plant in the Isle of Wight, nor in 

 Hampshire. Early in May this year I found it growing in con- 

 siderable abundance on rough grassy chalk slopes at Carisbrooke 

 Castle. The plants were all small in height, mostly about two 

 inches, and none exceeding four inches, but with widely spreading 

 branches. Fruit was already well formed, though not ripened. 

 If it occurred in this habitat in previous years I cannot account 

 for its not having been noticed, except for the fact of its flowering 

 so early and soon disappearing ; and I know no probable cause of 

 its sudden appearance. There can be no doubt that annual 

 plants are likely to be more irregular in their appearance than 

 those that are perennial, and it may be questioned whether 

 many annual plants could survive in the " struggle for existence " 



