Page:Journal of botany, British and foreign, Volume 9 (1871).djvu/196

 174 SHORT NOTES AND QUERIES,

Flora Hantoniensis (p. 160). — There seems to be now some like- lihood that the long-desiderated ' Flora of Hampshire ' will, at no distant date, be taken in hand. Early information (not given, 1 think, in Dr. Brom- field's fiiie contribution to the subject) could be collected by the carrying out of some such plan as I have sketched out in the Journal, Vol. VIII.- p. 158. I have not paid much attention myself to the connty in my reading, except as regards such matter as bore upon the Isle of Wight ; so that, besides references to Gerarde, T can only, at present, give the bllowing scant information: — Lobel, ' Illustrationes Stirpium ' (1655), '. 85; Johnson's ' Mercnrius Botanicus ' (1684), pp. 21, 23, 59, pars Itera (1641), p. 30; Parkinson's ' Theatrnni Botanicum ' (1640), )p. 640, 1167, 1485; and Kobson's 'British Flora' (1776), p. 161.— Robert Tucker.

��Trichomanes radicans in England. — In a recent number of ' Nature,' (vol. iii. p. 509,) Mr. E. F. im Thurn gives a locality for this species in Cornwall. He states that he found it " on a rock overhanging the water about a quarter of a mile below the fall " at St. Knighton's Kieve, on the northern coast of the county, in August, 1867. In the succeeding year, during a hurried visit, he was unable to see it. In the next number of ' Nature,' (vol. iv. p. 8,) Mr. W. P. Dymond, of Fal- mouth, corroborates the fact, and adds that the Fern was first recognized at the spot by Mr. R. W. Fox, in 1866. Mr. iin Thurn has kindly communicated to me some additional details. The waterfall in question is about two miles from Tintagel Castle, and the same distance from Boscastle ; a single patch only was seen, and the fronds were probably not much over two inches in height. He has no doubt of the identity of the plant, but, being separated from his herbarium, is unable at present to submit the only frond he gathered to my examination. With reference to the probabilities of its introduction at the fall, Mr. im Thurn writes: - — " The rocks about the waterfall are exactly of the kind on which the Trichomanes usually grows, and if there is any one in the neighbourhood with a taste for the cultivation of Ferns they may, of course, have tried the experiment of introducing the plant. Again, the waterfall, which is romantic enough to attract many visitors, is, with a certain amount of ground round it, enclosed, and let to a man who makes a show of it. The Ferns of other species growing about the fall are remarkable for their great luxuriance, and are much admired l)y visitors, A smattering of fern-lore being so common amongst tourists, it is by no means impos- sible that the lessee of the waterfall may have attempted to add to its attractions by planting rare Ferns. Notwithstanding all this, my own impression is that it was not an introduced plant, for which opinion my reasons are as follows : Firstly, the plant was not growing close to the waterfall, the part generally visited, but some little way down the stream, almost, if not quite, beyond the range of ordinary visitors. Secondly, it is scarcely probable that a man who has to repay himself for a heavy rent by the fees obtained from visitors during the short suunner season would be able to expend much in plants as rare, expens've, and insignificant as the TrlcJtumnnes, especially since it would be passed unnoticed by all but a few of his customers. Thirdly, and lastly, the plant showed no visible signs of introduction, and was of the wild form, and not of that slightly different form which it assumes under cultivation." Under these circum-

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