258 THE JOURNAL OF BOTANY 



Adauson, as I have said (Journ. Bob. 1908, 8), was one of the 

 most inchoate genera ever proposed, the characters on which it 

 was based being such as are common to the greater part of the 

 order Orchidacece. Furthermore, the name Epijxietis had already 

 been employed by Haller (Stirp. Helv. 277, 1741) for the genus 

 afterwards named Goodyera by Salisbury, which Boehmer revived 

 in 1760, i. e., prior to the publishing of Epipactis in another 

 sense by Adanson in 1763, or by Crantz in Stirpes AustriaccR. 

 M. Rouy writes : " Epipactis (Adans.), R. Brown ap. Alton, Hort. 

 Kew. V, 201, 1813." But Brown's genus Epipactis, like Hill's 

 Helleborine, also includes plants which subsequently L. C. Richard 

 (Mem. Mus. Paris, iv. 51, 1818) named Cephalantkera, and is thus, 

 equally with Hill's genus, to be cited as "pro parte." Some 

 modern writers, for instance, Eaton (Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 

 xxi. 628) and Wettstein, have again, but, as I think, without 

 sufficient reason, united them. It would seem from this that the 

 entangled history of this genus has not been completely investi- 

 gated by M. Rouy, since the reasons which he assigns for the 

 course he follows appear not to be tenable. It may be added that 

 M. Briquet [Flore de Corse, 385, 1910) uses the name Helleborine in 

 the sense I suggested, and says very truly : " II n'y a cependant 

 pas la une raison pour rejeter ce nom (Regl. Nom. Art. 44), II a 

 d'ailleurs 6te de meme pour Adanson, dont le genre Epipactis 

 embrassait aussi, outre le Epipactis, sensu stricto, les Cephalan- 

 thera Br., Listera Br., Goodyera'Br., &c." The name Helleborine 

 (Tourn.) Hill, Brit. Herb. 477 (1756) should therefore undoubtedly 

 be adopted. — G. Claridge Druce. 



Damasonium Alisma and Elisma natans in Yorkshire ? — 

 Mr. J. Eraser Robinson in his Flora of the East Biding of York- 

 shire, p. 193 (1902), records Damasonium Alisma Mill, as "seen 

 frequently in the seventies by the late Mr. E. A. Peak and Mr. 

 T. Dennis, near Stoneferry, Hull. Not seen of late in this station, 

 but the pond and dyke still exist, and probably also the plant." 

 I have tried to ascertain if any specimens exist, but cannot get 

 any information as to these. The northern limit of the plant in 

 Europe seems to be Moscow in Russia (Stephans, Fl. Mosq. No. 

 248, 1792), and Lake Bogdo in mid-east Russia (as var. trinerve 

 Trautv.), in both which stations the cold is much more severe in 

 winter and the summer hotter than in Yorkshire. The next most 

 northern station seems to be Ellesmere, in Shropshire (52°, 55 ' N. 

 lat.). The York station may thus be a certain record, but can 

 hardly be accepted as such unless the plant be refound there, or 

 specimens be found in herbaria. The Russian stations are ex- 

 ceptional, as the distribution in Europe is decidedly southern; i.e. 

 Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, Sicily, Malta (Duthie in Herb. 

 Kew !), Sardinia, and Watson adds Dalmatia ; Caucasus (Lenkoran) ; 

 Marocco, Algeria, and Egypt ; West and Central Asia. The 

 " Mr. Peak " mentioned was superintendent of the Hull muni- 

 cipal parks. Another East Riding species needs confirmation ; 

 i.e., Elisma natans Buch. "Lake at Hornsea, Teesdale." Tees- 

 dale, in a note in Bot. Guide, p. 685 (1805), expresses doubt as to 



