180 



THE NATURALIST. 



One species of plant which is interesting both from its rarity and also 

 from the beauty of its flowers is Lathyrus NissoUa, Crimson vetching, or 

 grass vetch, which I found sparingly at the south entrance to the railway 

 tunnel between "Woodgreen and Colney Hatch. Eay says in 1696, that it is 

 "not rarely," found on the borders of fields, but only gives one locality, 

 namely, Newcastle-on-Tyne. Morison who wrote in 1680, also observes of 

 this plant that it grows (passive) everywhere in corn fields and on banks. 

 Sir James Smith in 1820, simply gives its locality "in bushy plains, and 

 the grassy borders of fields," but Babington in 1847, says, "grassy places, 

 rare." It is not uncommon in France, Germany, and Spain, and has been 

 found also in the Eastern provinces of Algeria. 



Carex joseudo-Cyperus, L. I have found this plant on the borders of a 

 small pond at Bound's green between Woodgreen and Colney Hatch, about 

 two hundred yards from the high road on the right hand side going north- 

 ward. Morison, who gives a very poor figure of this plant, says, that it is 

 found in the counties of Warwick, Berks, and Essex. Ray calls it " Bastard 

 Cyperus with short pendulous spikes," but does not give any particular 

 locality. Smith says, that it is not uncommon, but only gives two habitats, 

 namely Hounslow Heath on the authority of the Bishop of Carlisle, and St. 

 Eaith's bog near ^N'orwich. Babington gives, " damp places, rare." This 

 species is found nearly all over Europe, and also in Algeria, and as might be 

 supposed, also in Korth America. Wood in his Class Book of Botany, pub- 

 lished in New York, in 1861, enumerates one hundred and eighty-six species 

 of Carex, whilst Babington only describes seventy species of the same 

 found in England. Gray in his Natural arrangement of British Plants gives 

 the inharmonious name of Trasus chlorostachaes, to this species, limiting the 

 genus Carex to those species only, which bear androgynous spikes ; whilst 

 Palisot de Beauvois constructed his genus Vignea out of the species bearing 

 digynous spikes, and filling up the genus Carex with those which have their 

 female spikes furnished with three styles. When a genus of plants contains 

 nearly two hundred species, it is no doubt convenient to divide them into 

 certain categories, but when the genus is so natural as that of Carex, an 

 subdivision of it cannot be anything more than artificial. 



Mentha gracilis, Smith. M. pratensis, Sole. I found this plant in 

 flower in the month of September on the banks of the river Lea, near 

 Sewardstone. This plant was also known to Eay, who calls it " Red mint," 

 but gives no locality for it ; it is the Mentha gentitis of English Botany, vol. 7. 

 t. 449. This difficult genus Mentha, contains many more species than are 



