710 DIDYNAMIA. GYMNOSPERMIA. Lamium. 
It should be kept in mind that the tendency of L. album to become tinged 
with red, is admitted by Smith: that also in FI. Lond. that species is 
stated to occur with a purple flower in the south of France: that Curtis 
reports having found it tinged in England: and that Linnaeus himself 
confirms the same remark, Variat flore carneo.” On the other hand, 
Schkuhr informs us that the flowers of L. maculatum , usually purple, are 
“ sometimes pale red, or nearly white and moreover, “ on the plants 
that bear flowers, the spotted leaves are often wanting/’ The discre¬ 
pancies between our numerous specimens and the proposed specific cha¬ 
racter, have rendered us in no small degree sceptical as to the possibility 
of establishing any such permanent distinction. The number of flowers 
in a whorl is far from being definite, though in general, it must be 
allowed, fewer than those of L. album. The lip of the blossom being 
spotted or speckled, is by no means peculiar to this kind of Lamium. 
Neither is the trivial name unexceptionable, if understood to refer to the 
spots on the leaves; for the foliage of this plant, described as “ guttatim 
dispersa,” in Column. Ecphr. 191, is never, so far as we have observed, 
such as to justify the expression in E. Bot. “ distinguished by large white 
spots on the radical leaves:’ 3 inasmuch as these marks are variable both 
as to duration, strength, and position, indeed equally pervading all parts 
of the plant, and at other seasons than those mentioned in the context; 
nor with us can it correctly be said “ Macula foliorum alba (estate dis- 
paret.” Linn. In fact, on close inspection of these spots, they have always 
appeared to us to be occasioned, not by those less intelligible opera¬ 
tions of nature on which depend the proper varieties of plants, but rather 
by some more immediate agency, and accompanied by the destruction, 
or abrasion, of the cuticular membrane and parenchymatous substance of 
the parts affected, as indicating a state of disease, or the depredations of 
minute Aphides, which may be found, though not so frequently, commit¬ 
ting similar ravages on L. album, and others of this tribe. Curious speci¬ 
mens, as we apprehend also thus produced, have just been communicated 
to us, as L. maculatum, with leaves more or less freckled, or speckled, 
from Compton wood, near Bristol. But we are restrained from further 
digression, by a conviction that, however the Redland plant may be ulti¬ 
mately disposed of, it has little or no pretension to be deemed indigenous, 
limited as it is to the one very suspicious spot already described. 
The other, and somewhat more legitimate, variety, to which we have 
alluded, is still more remarkable, almost every leaf being embellished 
throughout the year, not with “ obscure scattered spots,” but with a 
well-defined white central line, as though streaked with white paint: 
“ Foliis area longitudinali alba.” Linn. “ L. alba linea notatum.’ r Bauh. 
Pin. 231. This we believe to be L. maculatum of Flora Grseca, wherein 
it is mentioned in contradistinction to the Redland plant. We have 
received it from the Chelsea Botanic Garden. It is said to have been 
brought thither from Edinburgh by Mr. G. Don. We are informed 
that it prevails in the kingdom of Leon with a white var. It is cul¬ 
tivated in the Scotch gardens, whence likewise we have it; but 
whether Dr. Hooker in FI. Scot, intended to apply the description from 
E. Bot. solely to a variety similar to the one growing at Redland, (which 
elicited that description,) or to include our latter variety, it is to be 
regretted that the researches of the learned Professor should have 
failed to produce a single “ local habitation,” more satisfactory than 
that of {c Woods in Scotland, rare.” On the authority of Professor 
Henslow we are enabled to state that even this var. does not re¬ 
tain its distinctive character, and that the seedlings lose their stripes. 
