distributor’s report for 1947 (1949) 
81 
Digitalis lanata Ehrh. 16, W. Kent; neglected arable field near 
Dartford, August 4th, 1947. This species was described by Ehrliart 
(1792, Beitrage zur Nuturkunde . . . , 7, 152), from garden material 
whicli he believed to originate from Hungary. It is now known to be 
native in the Balkans and eastern Europe. According to Stoll (1937. 
The Cardiac Clucosides, 54), it made its appearance on the market as a 
drug plant rather earlier than 1922 and it was found that the activity 
of the drug exceeded many times that of D. purpurea and w'as particu- 
larly suited for the preparation of digitoxin. Whereas the garden 
“variety” of the last mentioned species is characterised by a low glycoside 
content, D. lanata contains a large amount of cardioactive glycosides 
when cultivated and it can readily be grown on lime soils. For these 
and technical reasons connected with the manufacture of crystalline 
products the cultivation of D. lanata has rapidly increased on the con- 
tinent and has been recently taken up in this country. Near Dartford, 
where T first saw it on July 6th, 1947, in company with D. H. Kent 
and R, Libbey, the plant was scattered over a very grassed-over arable 
field. Although evidence of cultivation was not obvious there can be 
little doubt that the plant must have been sown as a crop and that it 
persisted. — J. E. Lousley. 
Mentha, alopecvroides Hull. 41, Glam.; bank of River Taff, Cardiff, 
Aug. 26th, 1947.— A. E. Wade, comm. National Museum of Wales. 
“ Correctly named. This attractive mint, usually, if not always, a 
garden outcast, is usually considered to be of hybrid origin (M. rotundi- 
fnlia X longifolia). Mr Fraser preferred to call it xil/. niliaca Jaoq. 
var. alopecvroides (Hull) Briquet, though the use of the binomial 
Mentha niliara is open to question in its application to this group of 
hybrids.” — R. Graham. 
xMentha. geniHis Tj. 64, M.W. York; w'aste ground by River Ure, 
Little Nunwick, near Ripon, Sept. 11th, 1947.— Miss O. M. Rob (Ref. 
No. 4047). “ The practically glabrous stems, leaves and bract-leaves, 
and the rather sparsely and shortly hairy calyx-teeth bring this plant 
under Xil/. gentilis L. var. Wirtgeniana. F. Schultz. It is apparently 
not a very well-defined variety, there being great variation within the 
xil/. gentilis group in the degree of hairiness. There is even some 
I ariation within Miss Rob’s gathering. Tn extreme examples of this 
varietv the calyx-teeth become almost glabrous.” — ^R. Graham. 
Mentha, arvenis L. 64, IM.W. York; wa.ste ground by old brick- 
pond nenr Cawood, July 28th, 1947.— Miss C. M. Rob (Ref. No. 4732). 
“ Correctly named. This is one of the subglabrous, obtuse and broad- 
leaved forms that can be called var. ohtvsifolia Briquet. However, the 
leaf shape is rather inconstant, as can be seen from the variation within 
this gathering.” — R. Graham, 
