Page:Journal of botany, British and foreign, Volume 34 (1896).djvu/504

 470 THE SALIX LISTS IN THE 'LONDON CATALOGUE.' 1407 Lappomim x cinerea {cinerea-lhnosa Lsestad.). It is un- fortunate that the hybrid name for this willow survives which retains the defunct name of one of the parent species {limosa for Lapponuni). 8. cinerea- Lapponum Wimm. is far preferable to the older cinerea-limosa on this ground. I have not seen any British specimen of 8. cinerea x Lapponum. 1407 Lapponum x nigricans. If the insertion of this hybrid be founded on a gathering by the Rev. E. S. Marshall in Canlochan Glen, Forfarshire, I entirely dissent from the interpretation put upon the specimens.* 1408 Myrsinites X herbacea (8ommerfeltii Ands.). In the Annals of Scottish Natural History for 1894 I have shown that 8. Grahami Baker is intermediate between these two species, that all its characters can be well accounted for as derived from their union, and that in fact there is no doubt that 8. Grahami Baker is 8. herbacea X Myrsinites. This name, given by Borrer years before in MSS., was published in Journ. Bot. 1867, p. 157, t. 66, and con- sequently antedates 8. 8ommerfeJtii Ands. published in 1868 (DC. Prodr. xvi. (2), 291). For convenience I take here into consideration two hybrids placed by Dr. White under 1409 herbacea L. 8. Grahami was regarded by Boswell-Syme as a probable hybrid between 8. herbacea on the one hand, and 8. phylicifolia or 8. nigricans on the other. Dr. White narrowed this supposition down to 8. Grahami being ;tS'. hei'bacea X phylicifolia ; while he expressed his belief that the Irish plant so like Grahami, viz. thfe 8. Moorei of previous London Cata- logues, was 8. herbacea x nigricans. Having disposed of 8. Grahami, pot only by the arguments contained in my paper, but by the artificial production of 8. herbacea x phylicifolia, a result which strongly corroborated my view, I was anxious to study 8. Moorei in the garden, in order to judge of the merits of the herbacea- nigricans theory for myself. By the kindness of Mr. F. W. Moore I was shown, in the summer of 1895, at Glasnevin, both specimens and living plants of 8. Moorei; and later on furnished with a strong rooted piece to grow. The sight of the Dublin specimens and plants first raised doubt in my mind as to the presence of nigricans in the hybrid. 8. nigricans in composition gives a dulness of colouring to twigs and foliage, and a considerable amount of persistent pubescence ; also overcomes any tendency to red colouring of the inflorescence ; and there is usually some discoloration in the dried foliage specimens. In 8. Moorei there is no discoloration of the herbarium specimens; the young leaves are silky, but older leaves have become glabrous ; there is a bright look about the plant, and the catkins have some reddish colouring. The inference is that 8. Moorei is 8. herbacea x phylicifolia, and not 8. herbacea X nigri- cans. If this is the case, it might be supposed that 8. Moorei would correspond exactly with the plant artificially raised of 8. herbacea x phylicifolia, and referred to previously. Hybrids, however, raised beheves the insertion of this hybrid in the British list to have been based on his specimens. It must, I fear, be withdrawn.
 * Since this was written, the Eev. E. S. Marshall has informed me that he