116 
1931. — J. E. Louslcy. The April gathering shows this plant 
at an immature stage before the half-membraneous bracts 
have become conspicuous. The long roots compared with the 
small compact plant which bears them show that even 
flowering earlier does not entirely solve the water question 
for plants which grow on the sand. One plant 1 inch across 
bore roots 8|- inches long. — J. E. Lousley. Yes, s amid ecandr urn. 
In my sheet of the April gathering the half- membranous 
bracts are extremely conspicuous. — E. Drabble. Correct. — 
J. Fraser. 
Stellaria neglecta Weihe. [2623]. Roadside bank, N.E. of 
Stanton Drew, N. Somerset, May 31, 1931. Extending 
thickly for over 400 yards on the S. bank. Calyx and pedicels 
hirsute. Seeds bluntly tubercled, orange brown. Flowers 
smaller than in var. Elizabethae. Further observation 
indicates that this is far less common in N. Somerset than the 
following variety, but Dr. Walter Watson reports that in 
S. Somerset they are equally frequent. — H. S. Thompson. 
Correct. — J. Fraser. Yes, $. neglecta Weihe. There is an 
interesting note on this species on p. 183 of Salmon’s “ Flora 
of Surrey.” In Marshall’s original account of his S. umbrosa 
Opiz. var. decipiens (Joiirn. Bot. xl, 214 (1902)) S. neglecta 
Weihe is cited as a synonym, and the plant is said to differ 
from S. umbrosa only in having hairy pedicels and calyx, 
blunt seed-tubercles and less acuminate lower leaves. This 
apparently holds good for typical S. neglecta , except for the 
seed- tubercles, which are much like those of S. umbrosa. 
There is a further paper on these plants by Marshall in Journ. 
Bot. xlii, 151 (1904). In the Club’s Report for 1906-7 (p. 82) 
Marshall modified his views and states that there are three 
forms of this plant in. Britain: — (1) 8. neglecta , Whe. (2) S. 
umbrosa Opiz, and (3) S. neglecta var. decipiens , the last 
“ like neglecta but for the bluntly tubercled seeds. Habit 
usually rather different — nearer 8 . media .” The criterion 
of acutely or bluntly tubercled seeds in distinguishing these 
plants is not entirely satisfactory, for though in living examples 
of S. neglecta the ripe seeds may be acutely tubercled, in dried 
material the tubercles often become more or less blunt. The 
original descriptions both of S. neglecta and of S. Elizabethae 
F. Schultz (S. umbrosa) give the seeds as marginally muricate, 
while in contrast those of S. media are termed rugulose ; and 
this seems better to represent the actual points of distinction. 
