this County: Dr. Sioms, in Lot. Guide. — Sussex; Common also in this 
County : Dr. Siokf.s, ibid. — Yorkshire ; “ In the North Biding, but 1 cannot 
tecollect the place:” Mr. Telsoai.e, ibid. — WALES; Isle of Auylesea ; In 
dry rtieadows, near Llanidan : Mr. Bingi.ey, ibid. — Glamorganshire ; Lime- 
stone meadows about Pott Eynon : Dr. Turton, ibid. 
Perennial. — Flowers in July and August. 
Root somewhat woody, fibrous, brown and yellow on the out- ■ 
side, nearly white within. Stesn from 2 to 3 feet high, upright, 
square, hairy, not very aromatic. Leaves oblong, heart-shaped at 
the base, nearly smooth, irregularly crenate, or notched, wrinkled 
and veiny, deep green ; root-leaves and lower stem-leaves on long 
leaf stalks ; the uppermost sessile, stem-clasping, and sharp pointed. 
Flowers about six in a whorl, whorls numerous, forming a long 
loose spike ; each whorl is accompanied by a pair of small, egg- 
shaped, pointed bracteas. Corolla large and handsome, nearly four 
times as long as the calyx, of a fine purplish blue. The flower- 
stalks and calyx, as well as the summit of the corolla, are hairy and 
viscid. 
The seeds of this, as well as of many other species of Salvia, are 
covered with a dense mucilage, which is not visible till the seeds are 
wetted. This mucilage I have found to be partly composed of very 
minute spiral vessels, similar to those first described by Professor 
Lindley as parti’ - composing the mucous matter which envelopes 
the seeds of Colldmia linearis. These spiral vessels are very numer- 
ous in the mucous matter which envelopes the seeds of Salvia vcr- 
bendca ; if a seed of this species is placed on a bit of glass on the 
stage of a compound microscope, and then subjected to moisture, by 
dropping upon it a drop or two of clear water, the spiral vessels may 
be seen, almost immediately, to dart forth from the outside of the 
testa or skin, and to form a complete and beautiful radius round the 
seed. If the seed on which the experiment has been tried is 
allowed to dry upon the glass, the spiral vessels will remain in 
thmr extended position, (their bases enclosed in the mucous matter 
which also dries upon the glass,) and may be preserved as an in- 
teresting object for the microscope at any future time. See 
Walker’s FI. Oxf. p. 9 and the “ Report of the second Meeting 
of the British Association for the advancement of science,” p. 593. 
— The seeds are sometimes used for removing extraneous matter 
from the eye, put under the eye-lid for a few moments. 
t The Flora of Oxfordshire, and its Contiguous Counties, (comprising the 
Flowering Plants only ;) airanged in easy and familiar language, according to 
the Linnarau and Natural Systems, &c. By Richard VVai.kei«, B.D. F.L.S. 
and Fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford, 8vo. 1833. Pub i hed by H. Slatter, 
High street, Oxford. 
Those who would wish to become acquainted with the flowering plants of Oxford- 
shire, and its contiguous counties, their places of growth, &c. will find this woik 
a very useful and interesting guide. The descriptions of the plants are accurate 
and concise, and are preceded by an easy and familiar introduction, both to the 
Linnaran and Jussieuan systems, accompanied by twelve illustialivc plates. 
