Page:Journal of botany, British and foreign, Volume 9 (1871).djvu/164

 140 NOTES or PLANTS OF THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF OXFORD.

This would be of move biological significance tluiii the dale wlieu the first bloom struggles into notice.

Caltha palnstris, L. — I collected a considerable series of specimens of this fine plant from Christ Church Meadow, Avhere, after the subsidence of tlie floods, it makes a splendid show. They probably include C. G/ie- rcnigerii, 13or., in which the sepals being more ovate do not overlap at the base. The flowers I found varied from 2:^ to 1| inches in diameter, and with from 8 to 5 sepals. The radical leaves were, in some cases, almost orbi- cular, with overlapping lobes ; iu others triangular-reniforra, with a very shallow basal sinus, a form which, except that the flowers are the normal size, must approach C. Jiahelli folia, Pursh. The toothing of the upper leaves varied to any extent.

Arahis Tiirrita, L. — Although given for Oxford in the ' Student's Flora ' and the 'Compendium of the Cybele Britannica,' it is no longer to be found growing there spontaneously. It was exterminated in repairing the walls of Magdalen College. Mr. Baxter informed me that it lingered in Magdalen walks, and that he endeavoured to establish it in the island in the Cherwell, but was unsuccessful.

Sisymbrium Irio, L., comes up abundantly in the Botanic Garden, outside of which it has occurred occasionally as an escape, as in the ad- joining lane leading to Christ Church Meadow, and by the side of the Cherwell, next the garden.

Diantlms ccesins, Sm., is now well established on many of the old lime- stone walls, and was said to have been introduced directly from Cheddar. It grows, amongst other places, on the garden-wall of Wadham College, and near the entrance to the Cathedral. I have also noticed it on walls iu Taunton, Somerset.

Geranium rotandifolium, L. — Abundant about the Oxfordshire suburbs of Oxford. I do not recall its occurrence on the southern side, though, no doubt, it is to be found.

Geiim intermedium, Ehrh. — Sparingly, with G. rivale, L., and G. urha- mwi, L., in a copse, near Elsfield, Oxfordshire.

Saitguisorba officinalis, L. — Abundant in meadows by the Thames, near Sandford, Berks. Likely to be overlooked, as the early leaves are cut with the grass.

Hippiiris vulgaris, L. — Binsey Common, Berks. Sedum. dasyphjllum, L. — Walls at Besselsleigh, Berks. CEnantlie silaifolia, Bieb. — Christ Church Meadow, abundant near the " Barges." Also in meadows by the river near the old railway station. (E. Lachenalii, Gmel. — BulUngdon, Oxon, H. Boswell. (E. flmiatilis, Colera. — -There is an early stage of the growth of this plant, which is not, I think, described by Mr. Varenne in his paper in the ' Phytologist ' (o. s. vol. iv. p. 673). My specimens, collected towards the end of April, exhibit a short corm-like rhizome, about an inch in length, with very abbreviated internodes, and terminated apparently by the base of the flowering stem of the preceding year. A tuft of leaves, about ten inches long, has sprung from one of the nodes. These leaves are not bipinnate, but only pinnate; the pinnse bipinnatifid, with rather narrow, almost laciniate segments. The general outline of the whole lamina is oblong, and about four inches in length. Another baiTeu spe- cimen, collected at the end of May, agrees exactly with Mr. Varenne's description, being an elongated stem rooting at the nodes, and with

�� �