PROF. TRAILL ON BOTANICAL NOTES FROM MURTHLY. 
129 
branches were from five to three inches long, the basal two or three 
inches of each being slender. 
Centu?iculiis 'ininimus^ L., has already been noted in connection 
with Radiola. 
Solanum Dulcamara^ L., was noticed in a good many hedges 
about Strathord and elsewhere. Its presence catches the eye of one 
accustomed to botanise in a part of Scotland in which it is rare. 
Bartsia Odontites, Huds.—This is another of the plants whose 
abundance in Perthshire is in very marked contrast to their local 
distribution or scarcity in the district around Aberdeen. Its pre¬ 
valence in Perthshire must be hurtful to the pastures. 
Polygonum Hydropiper, L., and P. lapathifolium, L., as common 
weeds of cultivated fields attracted my attention, since they are both 
of rare occurrence in the north-east of Scotland. Indeed, P. Hydro¬ 
piper is scarcely ever seen as a field-weed there, and P. lapathifohuni 
seems to be more a casual introduction than a resident weed with us. 
I gladly took advantage of the opportunity of carrying on careful 
observations on the variations of structure in the flowers of both 
species, in connection with similar observations on the flowers of 
other species of the genus. I find the structure to be extraordinarily 
variable in some, and fairly constant in other, species of Polygonum. 
Riiniex conspersus, Hartm.—Of this dock I met with examples 
near Murthly, and also near the Lake of Menteith. 
Rumex obfusifolius, L.—In the mill-dam already referred to, 
situated in a shady spot surrounded with trees, on the Burn of Geliy, 
near Murthly Station, I found plants of unknown aspect growing 
under water, though the dam was then at a very low level. The 
leaves were from fifteen to eighteen inches in length; with the blade 
narrowly lanceolate, from six to nine inches long by little more than 
one half-inch in width, and of delicate texture. I was a good deal 
at a loss at first to identify the plants, but an inspection of the bottom 
of the dam and of its sides afforded a series of examples that showed 
the submerged forms to belong to some species of Rumex. • It was 
more difficult to ascertain the species, as the most careful search 
failed to secure examples in a satisfactory condition, the most 
developed bearing only small flowers. R. crispus, L., and R. obtusi- 
folius, L., grew round the dam, and I also found a single example of 
R. conspersus. Comparison of the aquatic form with these species 
led me to the conclusion that it is most probably to be referred to 
R. obtusifolius, though the condition of the reproductive organs and 
the changes due to the environment prevent full certainty. I am 
not aware of any similar observation having been put on record of 
the effect of aquatic environments on any of the above species 
of Rumex. Additional observations from this locality are desirable. 
I 
