Oentiana.] gentianace^. 311 



1. G. Amarella, L. Autumnal Oentian. " Stem much-branched, 

 root-leaves oval spathulate, upper ones ovate-lanceolate sessile, 

 calyx-lobes lanceolate nearly equal shorter than the tube of the 

 corolla which is cylindrical or obconical, its limb 5-cleft, germen 

 linear-oblong and as well as the capsule sessile or shortly stipi- 

 tate." — 5r. Fl. p. 268. Sm. E. Fl. p. 30. Lindl. Syn. p. 179. 

 E. B. iv. t. 236. 



/3. Calyx-segments very unequal. 



On dry hilly and chalky pastures and downs in many places. Fl. July — No- 

 vember, sometimes in early summer (May, &c.). Q- 



E. Med. — Binslead, sparingly. Near Arreton. East-end. Landslip at Bon- 

 church, Samuel Hailstone, Esq., jun. 



W. Med. — White Pit, by Newport, abundantly. Plentiful all round Caris- 

 brooke castle, on the turf of the moal, glacis. Sec, where it was pointed out lo me 

 by Mr. Snooke,jun. In and about the chalk-pit opposite Alvington farm, by the 

 road from Carisbrooke to Calbourne, plentifully. In the park at Swainston. 

 Abundant on the down above Alum Bay. Near Westover. Banks between Nor- 

 ton and Totland. Shide chalk-pit, and on all the chalky downs throughout the 

 island, Mr. W. D. Snooke. 



p, On the dry chalky down above Sandown bay. 



Moot yellowish white, veiy stiff and contorled. Stem purple, much branched, 

 from a lew inches to a foot high, roundish, with two prominent ribs or wings on 

 its opposite sides, continued alternately to the summit, giving it the appearance 

 of being quadrangular. Leaves dark somewhat purplish green, opposite, sessile, 

 ovato-lanceolate, acute, quite entire, 3-ribbed, the lowermost obtuse and attenuated 

 into short footstalks. Floxvers axillary and terminal, usually 2 or 3 together, 

 nearly an inch long, stalked, erect, purplish or violet, elegant though not showy. 

 Sepals nearly equal, linear-lanceolate, acute, their edges revolute, shorter than the 

 tube of the corolla and erect. Corolla somewhat campanulate, the limb in 5, or 

 occasionally in the same specimen in 4 (or even 3, Sm.), ovate, acute, spreading seg- 

 ments, the mouth of the tube beautifully fringed with long, erect, purplish hairs. 

 Stamens inserted at the very base of the corolla, but adnata with it for nearly half 

 their length ; filaments dilated in the middle ; anthers 2-celled, purple, free. Ger- 

 men linear. Styles very short ; stigmas 2 upright flattened lobes. Capsule linear, 

 cylindric.il, yellowish, enclosed in the permanent withered perianth, opening to a 

 short distance only from its apex. Seeds numerous, very small, roundish oval, 

 pale brown and shining, finely punctate all over, attached in a single row on either 

 side of each valve near the commissure. 



A variety with the calyx-segments very unequal, two of them considerably 

 larger and longer than the three others, but neither ovate nor concealing the lat- 

 ter as in G. campestris, I found on the dry chalk down above Sandown bay. 

 Some of the lower flowers had the calyx 4-cleft ; in these the diflTerence of size in 

 each alternate segment was very conspicuous, the smaller, shorter and inner being 

 linear, the outer and longer ovate-lanceolate. Are these two species really dis- 

 tinct? — the descriptions of authors point at intermediate forms that militate 

 against the opinion that they are so. 



? G. campestris, li. Field Gentian. " Stem very much branched 

 many-flowered, leaves ovate -lanceolate, 2 outer segments of the 

 caly:x very large ovate, corolla 4-cleft." — Br. Fl. p. 268. E. B. t. 

 237. 



On dry elevated gravelly or chalky pastures and limestone hills ; probably never 

 found at all in this island. Fl. August — October. 0. 



Heathy pasture between Colwell and Weston, plentifully, Mr. W. D. Snooke. 



I have not succeeded in finding the plant in the above station, nor have I ever 

 seen IsIe-of-Wight specimens from that or any other locality. I fear the last spe- 

 cies has been mistaken for it ; — possibly the variety just described.. 



