Page:Journal of botany, British and foreign, Volume 9 (1871).djvu/37

 PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 27

mined particularly Parnasaia puliistris in its various stages of flo\verins>-. Observations were made also on protandrous plants, such as Di/jUalis, Hypericum, and Folijgonum, and on protoiiyuous plants, such as Plaittago. On 9th August the party visited Larig-au-Luchan, Ben Lassie, and Ben Lawers, asceiuling the latter by the western side. On the rocks at the former place they expected to have gathered JFoodda hyperhorea, where it used to occur in considerable quantity ; they were unable, liowever, to detect it. On Wednesday, 10th August, they proceeded to Cheeri, a farmhouse about six miles up Glen Lochy, at the foot of i\lael Ghyrdy, a mountain over 3400 feet, which was ascended to the summit and de- scended on the opposite side for a considerable distance, to examine the rocks facing Glen Lyon. On these rocks were collected Cysloptcris mon- tana and Bartsla alpina, which were met with in great abundance, be- sides many other commoner alpine plants. The adventures of this week's excursion led to the formation, at Killin, of a Scottish Naturalists' Alpine Club, to consist of naturalists who are in the habit of visiting- alpine districts of Scotland for the study of science, and who have proved themselves to be pleasant compagnous de voyage. — " On Some New and Rare Mosses collected on Ben Lawers." By Dr. James Stirton. This was a continuation of a paper read last Session, and printed in the ' Transactions,' vol. x. p. 426. — "On the Varieties of Hieracluni stoloni- Jlorum of VValdst. and Kit. at Different Seasons." By Professor Balfour. This plant, described in the Society's 'Transactions,' vol. x. pp. 316- 317, has been found by Mr. Sadler to present peculiar forms at different periods of the year. These forms are so remarkable that they appear to be worthy of record. They are not only important in themselves, but they are valuable as intlicating the necessity of caution in determining species of Hierucium by an examination of the plant at one season only. By so doing we may be led into difficulties, and may even describe as distinct species what are mere variations in the growth of the same plant. In the- month of June we have two forms of the plant. In No. 1 there is a thickish root giving oft" slender rootlets chiefly on one side, the crown of the root producing a few leaves (3-5) which are obovate-spathulate ; from the crown also arises a very hairy, short, floral axis, about an inch long, which bifurcates, each branch elongating and bearing a few narrow leaves which diminish in size as we ascend. The branches sometimes terminate at the end in two smaller axes, each bearing a very small and contracted head of flowers. At other times the ascending axis divides in a dichotomous manner once or twice before produchig capitula. The whole habit of the plant is peculiar on account of the small number of leaves, and the very much elongated floral axis — sometimes being 12-14 inches in length, and the small capitula. It looks starved, and may per- haps be the form called hifurcuvi by Frolich, or the collino-F domlla of Fries, Novitia?, or the coUiuiim of his Monograph on Hieraclum, p. 9. In the other June form (No. 2) we meet with the long slender scapes, the small capitula, and the marked bifurcation, as in form No. 1 ; but there are produced numerous stolons, bearing many obovate-spathulate leaves. In this there are often several (two or more) primary scapes arising from the crown of the root. In this case we have an approach to the Filusella form. This may be the //. pedimculutam of Wallroth, de- scribed as a singular prostrate plant. In the end of July and beginning of August we have form No. 3, in which the stolons have multi])lied

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