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less green; while in H. canum, they are white and hoary. But what, then, becomes of the intermediate H. italicum, which partakes of both these characters * ?

“Of Helianthemum fumama and procumbens we also laid up a few specimens to-day. Dunal is certainly right when he adds the remark, that perhaps H. ericoides is but a variety of H. fumama: it is no doubt a very distinct variety, but has no claims to be ranked as a species, nor does it appear to differ in the least degree from var. « of H. fumama: may not even var. be joined to var. a? Further, on what good grounds is H. procumbens to be separated? Dunal rests upon the property of the seeds + remaining attached to, or being discharged from the opened capsule; but we have assuredly found both on the same plant, and as to habit there is little difference.

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"Few who find Cisti and Helianthema together in the wild state, would, I think, presume to unite the two genera; yet there does exist a species which tends to ally them most intimately. I allude to the old Cistus libanotis. Now, it is difficult to say to which genus this should be referred, by judging only of the habit. Nay, there seem to have been two distinct species confounded together, but which Dunal has properly separated: the one has the capsule of a Cistus, the other of a Helianthemum; they differ in no other respect. Dunal has called the one C. Clusii, the other Helianthemum libanotis. In both, the styles are shorter than the stamina, and the calyx trisepalous. To H. libanotis, Dun. certainly belongs Cistus calycinus, Linn. This synonym is adduced by Willdenow under

The Helianthemum canum, Dun. I believe to be the C. canus of Linnæus ; but Sir J. Smith says that Linnæus's plant is very different from his C. marifolius, whereas Dunal's H. canum is so closely allied to it, that there is scarcely either a natural or artificial character by which it is to be separated. As to Dunal's H. marifolium, it certainly differs from the British C. marifolius, with which, however, De Candolle's plant (from Switzerland) entirely accords. There are thus three species: Hel. canum of Dunal and Linn.; H. marifolium, DC. and Linn.; and Dunal's H. marifolium.

+ My friend M. Guillemin has recently discovered, that, in the end of the broad and narrowed Helianthemum, there exists two different structures of the embryo.

JANUARY-MARCH 1827.

R

his C. ericoides, but with which plant the phrase of Linnæus has no relation. This circumstance induced Dunal to doubt that Willdenow was correct; but it was not till after the publication of De Candolle's Prodromus, that he discovered, by what he considers an authentic specimen in M. Bouchet's herbarium, that it belongs to his first section Halimium. It has exactly the habit and appearance of Hel. libanotis, and only differs by the peduncles being equal in length to the bracteæ, while in H. libanotis they are twice as long; but these characters seem too variable to constitute of it more than a mere variety."

......

26th April.—“ To-day, we made an excursion for a couple of hours not far from the house. Inter alia, we met with Ornithopus scorpioides, Lathyrus (not agreeing well with the description of any in De Candolle's Flore Française or the Supplement), Vicia narbonensis, and some other rare species. It is strange that Willdenow quotes England as a locality for Vicia narbonensis; I know not upon what authority. Smith and the other English botanists who write on the Flora of Great Britain, have prudently left it out, but take no notice of Willdenow's assertion. I suspect that many other species allowed in the British Flora, ought to be dismissed with as little ceremony. Thus, Euphorbia characias has surely no title to rank as indigenous; when found in France, it never gets beyond the region of the olive trees. We to-day gathered and examined a moss that Mr Bentham first observed a few weeks ago: it was not in a very perfect state, but I consider it a Didymodon (D. Benthamii, nob.) at least it accords with that genus in its peristome. Its habit is precisely that of a var. of Tortula cirrata (Trichostomum barbula, Schw. but a decided Tortula), that I have received from Rio Janeiro. On the rocks around the source of the Lez are a few plants of Asplenium glandulo

sum.

"As some of our plants have been very long of drying, particularly the germens of some Irides and Narcissi we gathered at the Pont du Gard, we resolved this evening to make some large packets of the whole we had at present in progress, and put them into the large oven used for baking the out-of-doors servants' bread."

27th April.—“ This morning we took out our plants from

the oven, and found all that had been so long of drying, now properly prepared. By this means we got rid of at least 2000 specimens. Indeed, we did not find more than 300 or 400 specimens that required farther drying, and many of these had their moisture brought by the heat to the surface of the leaves, so that they may probably be dried by the usual process in the course of a day or two. The mode of the oven gives rise to the following observations:-1. That it must be considered a good method to dry plants, (particularly in moist or cold climates), if proper precautions be used: 2. That for plants that have been long in drying, and which have little moisture remaining, from three to six sheets of paper may be sufficient (according to the thickness of the plants) to place betwixt each layer, and the plants need not be removed till quite dry, which may be in eight or ten hours: 3. Care must be taken that the oven be not too hot, otherwise the oiliness (if one may so call it) of the plant will be entirely extracted, and it will be found quite brittle, and of little use for after examination 4. If the plants be newly gathered, nine to twelve sheets must at least be put between each layer of plants; and moreover, if these abound in juice (as did our Vicia narbonensis), they ought to be removed from the oven when the packet (about fifteen inches thick) is thoroughly heated to the centre, which may be in three or four hours: the wet paper is then to be removed, and the plants put in other which is dry; they ought then to be again baked for eight or ten hours, and will then in all probability be found to be dry, unless they belong to the very succulent tribes, in which case it may be preferable to finish the drying by the common mode: 5. All the plants put in for the first time, if full of juice, should only be under a moderate pressure, but after the paper is changed, they are to be pressed very considerably: if they have very little moisture in them, as some of the small Lathyri, Polygala and Helianthema, they ought at once to be subjected to a great pressure.

"We had put in the Vicia Narbonensis fresh, and under a great pressure, and we did not remove it from the oven to change the paper till this morning; the consequence was, that the paper was saturated with moisture, and the specimens were stewed in their own juice, and had got too much of the negro complexion.

Some that were towards the edge of the paper, and their moisture had easily evaporated, had dried of a fine green colour: of one or two, the outer half was green and the inner black; but we had this to comfort us, that, when dried in the common way, this plant usually turns either black or yellow. The moisture was all brought to the exterior of the plant, so that we put them up in dry paper to absorb it. All the small species of plants that we had gathered yesterday were now completely dry; several, indeed, were perhaps too much done, " trop cuites," and had become brittle, as the heat was rather too great for them.” On the 6th May we set off early towards the sea-shore, where we had a successful herborization. Among the

GRAMINEÆ,...I may mention the Koeleria macilenta, Sclerochloa divaricata, and Ophiurus incurvatus.

JUNCAGINE,... Triglochin Barrelieri.

ORCHIDEE,...Orchis laxiflora, O. coriophora.

CHENOPODIACEAE,...Chenopodium setigerum, Atriplex portulacoides and rosea, Salsola fruticosa, and Salicornia fruticosa. PLUMBAGINEE,...Statice oleæfolia.

SCROPHULARINEE,...Euphrasia latifolia.

OROBANCHEE,...Orobanche caryophyllacea, and another species, O. cernua? perhaps new, growing in sand, with blue flowers.

RUBIACEA,...Crucianella maritima, Galium mucronatum, and Gal. murale : the fruit of this last appears to differ from the other Galia, by being elongated, and not globose.

COMPOSITE,...Bellis annua, Anthemis maritima, Anacyllis tomentosa (two varieties), Scorzonera, perhaps new, which I have had from Africa under the name of Apargia verna. TAMARISCINEÆ,...Tamarix africana.

LEGUMINOSE,...Trifolium maritimum, hybridum, and resupinatum, Medicago maritima, littoralis, denticulata, apiculata, and maculata. CARYOPHYLLEÆ,.. ,...Silene conica, Arenaria rubra, & marina. MM. De Candolle and Seringe are quite right in retaining this plant as a variety of A. rubra: the seeds, the root, and indeed its whole appearance, approach it to A. rubra, while it has little in common with A. media; this last has a long fusiform and almost ligneous root, so that I can scarcely credit those authors who say it is annual. A. rubra ß, I believe to be merely annual.

FRANKENIACEÆ,...Frankenia pulverulenta and intermedia.

CRUCIFERA,...Malcomia littoralis, Alyssum maritimum (which differs from

the other Alyssa in the structure of its cotyledons), Sinapis incana, and

Lepidium iberis.-Lepidium latifolium was common here, but not yet in flower. PAPAVERACEÆ,...Papaver rubiaci, DC.-This is merely a starved variety of P. Rheas, growing in a hot sandy soil"..

These are some of the more interesting plants we found in this excursion. Many more we observed, but as they occurred abundantly nearer Montpellier, we did not gather them. One plant grows here, which I was very eager to collect, the Hutchinsia procumbens, with which sometimes a diffuse variety of H. petræa is confounded. I was however disappointed: it had already flowered, shed its seeds, and nothing remained but the scorched stems and leaves.

Before our departure for the Pyrenees, we made one more excursion to the Pic St Loup. The Paonia peregrina was now in fruit. Linum narbonense, with its splendid blue blossom, was by no means rare; while behind the Pic, one place was quite covered with Linum glutinosum and salsaloides, DC. Geum atlanticum is here, but very scarce. Erodium petræum, and Alyssum spinosum, were plentiful on the rocky summits of the hill. We observed by the road-sides Helianthemum nummulariafolium, and Onobrychis cristagalli.

The Botanical Garden of Montpellier, if not of very great extent, is in excellent condition, and contains many curious plants. The red horse-chesnut, Esculus rubicunda (Esc. carnea of some authors), forms one of the greatest ornaments that can be conceived. The curious Ginkgo biloba flowers here every spring in the open air in the hot-house, the Solandra grandiflora covers a whole wall, and flowers in the utmost luxuriance. This garden was established by Henry the Fourth in 1597,

• I had afterwards occasion to see this plant in De Candolle's herbarium at Geneva. An inspection of the original specimens confirms the above opinion. I may also observe, that I can see no good character to separate from each other the P. trilobum, P. turbinatum, and P. lævigatum: when united, the first may be styled var. latifolia glabra; the second, var. latifolia subpilosa; and the last, var. glabra foliorum lobis angustioribus. These characters are merely relative. When hairs occur on any of these, they are patent, which, with other circumstances, induces me to believe that these three may prove to be only varieties of P. Rhæas.

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