BKITISH HIEBACIA. 63 



plant the setse are scarce and usually hardly discernible. It 

 is permanent under cultivation, remaining unchanged from seed, 

 and may not improbably prove a distinct species. 



Yar. ru6esce?is is the handsomest form of H. vulgatum with 

 which I am acquainted. Its robust and highly coloured purplish 

 red stem, numerous large broadly ovate sub-acuminate irre- 

 gularly toothed root-leaves, few (1 to 3) distant sessile or 

 slightly clasping stem-leaves, and large heads of deep golden 

 florets, present features so unlike other forms of S. vulgatvm, 

 that were it not for cultivation (which brings it so near to the 

 typical form, that even its right to the name of a variety is 

 questionable), few would, I think, suppose it, on first sight at 

 least, to belong to this species. 



The following forms of H. vulgatum, which present a distinct 

 appearance when wild, and yet so closely resemble each other when 

 cultivated as to make their claim to the name of "varieties" very 

 doubtful, may be briefly described as under : 



S. vulgatum maeulatum. Stem rigid, with numerous strongly 

 toothed leaves; frequently spotted or blotched with reddish 

 purple. Eoot-leaves usually withering before the plant is in 

 flower. Peduncles short, divaricated. Heads numerous, 

 panicled, contiguous. 

 a. maeulatum. Sm. E. B. t. 2121. 



jj". vulgatum nemorosum. Leaves lanceolate or ovate, remotely den- 

 tate or denticulate ; clouded or blotched with purple. Stem- 

 leaves few (1 to 3) distant. Heads few, sub-corymbose. 

 JS'. vulgatum 3 nemorosum. Bab. Man. Ed. 3, p. 197. 



M. vulgatum montanum. Stem short, with one or few sessile dentate 

 leaves. Eoot-leaves numerous, large, ovate, sharply toothed at 

 the base (resembling forms of H. murorum). Peduncles elon- 

 gated. Heads few, large, rather distant. 



M. vulgatum maeroeephalum. Stem-leaves few, entire, sub-sessile. 

 Root-leaves elliptic-lanceolate, with shorter teeth and rather 

 long petioles. Heads few, very large. Phyllaries of the 



