34 TWO NEW GRASSES. 



In Grenier & Godron's Flore de France (iii. 438, 439 — 

 1855-56) it is stated that the stems of P. minor are " longue- 

 ment nus au sommet," while those of P. canariensis are 

 " brievemet nus an sommet." I find that this character is 

 quite unreliable, varying greatly in both species. 



Mr. E. D. Marquand, who is working at a Flora of 

 Guernsey and the smaller islands, first called my attention to 

 P. minor in Alderney last July, thinking that it was only a 

 casual. It was growing in good quantity in a small sandy 

 cultivated field ; he has found it in other similar localties in 

 the same island. I searched for it in Guernsey, and found it 

 in several places ; in good quantity in sandy cultivated fields 

 by the sea, and twice sparingly on the sandy shore. 



The plant is not uncommon on the west coast of France. 

 Lloyd (Flore de V Ouest de France, 393 — 1886) records it as 

 occurring in cultivated fields, and especially gardens, in all the 

 maritime departments from Vendee to Ille-et-Vilaine, where 

 it grows near St. Malo and St. Brieuc, amongst other places. 

 Corbiere (Flore de Normandie), 626 — 1894) states that he has 

 found it himself in sandy fields on the coast near Barfleur and 

 Cherbourg, and accepts it as a native, though it is very rare 

 so far north. Grenier & Godron give a long list of localities, 

 including Barfleur, with no question as to its being native. 

 Being a native of both sides of the bay in which the islands 

 are situated, it might naturally be expected to occur there 

 also. That it has been overlooked through its likeness to 

 P. canariensis is certain, for it is incredible that a casual 

 should appear in the same year for the first time in consider- 

 able quantity in many parts of two islands which are as far 

 apart from one another as Dover is from Calais. 



Babington recorded P. canariensis as " naturalised in 

 several places in Guernsey." In a list of the Flora of 

 Guernsey, published by Mr. Marquand in 1891, it is stated 

 that P. canarienses " appears native in sandy places " on the 

 north-west coast. Mr. Marquand now believes that this was 

 P. minor. I have often seen P. canariensis in gardens in 

 Guernsey, but all the specimens from sandy ground by the 

 coast which I examined last summer were P. minor. 



In Townsend's Flora of Hants, p. 402, Mr. Marquand 

 recorded P. canariensis as growing " in the sand at Mudeford, 

 well established." In a letter to me he says that it was 

 "growing abundantly, quite away from any habitations, and 

 having every appearance of being wild," and suggests that 

 this might be P. minor. It would be an interesting point for 

 some Hampshire botanist to clear up next summer. 



