Page:The Botany of the Antarctic Voyage.djvu/372

336 its European ally, E. officinalis, L., and is still more nearly allied to a Himalayan plant, detected by my friend Mr. Edgeworth, whose researches in the Indian Alps have been rewarded with the discovery of some well-marked types of an American Flora, occurring together where they might have been least expected.

1. SCUTELLARIA, L.

1. nummulariafolia, Hook, fil.; parvula, glanduloso-puberula, caulibus gracilibus basi prostratis ascendentibus, foliis breviter petiolatis late ellptico-oblongis rotundatisve obtusis integerrimis sub-enerviis floralibus conformibus, floribus sparsis axillaribus breviter pedicellatis.

East coast of Tierra del Fuego, C. Darwin, Esq.

Caules graciles, diametro penn&aelig; passerin&aelig;, basi ramosi; ramis diffusis, simpliciusculis, elongatis, 2-4-uncialibus tenuiter puberulis. Folia -&frac12; unc. longa, subcoriacea, utrinque subglanduloso-puberula, apice rotundata, basi in petiolum brevem 1-1&frac12; lin. longum angustata. Flores pauci, majusculi, foliis longiores, breviter pedicellati, pedicello calyce puberulo &aelig;quilongo. Corolla calyce ter longior, e basi sensim ampliata, rosea (?), pubescens, v. glabrata, lobis superioribus lateralibusque liberis brevibus obtusis, inferiore subpendulo, fauce piloso. Ach&oelig;nia immatura l&aelig;via.

Allied to the North American S. antirhinoides, Benth., but much smaller, and very different in the size of the flowers. A variety, also gathered by Mr. Darwin at Port St. Julian on the Patagonian coast, is more stunted, densely pubescent, with shorter leaves, and the lower lip of the corolla bearded internally. The discoverer of this species remarks that the climate and productions of the particular locality which it inhabits, are intermediate in character between those of Patagonia and Fuegia.

2. STACHYS, L.

1. Chonotica, Hook, fil.; herbacea, erecta, hispido-pilosa, foliis petiolatis oblongo-lanceolatis ovato-oblongisve obtusis acutisve basi cordatis obtuse crenato-serratis floralibus bracte&aelig;forrnibus inferioribus calyce longioribus, verticillastris 4-8-floris remotis, calycis hispidi campanulati dentibus ovatis aristatis, coroll&aelig; glabriuscul&aelig; tubo calyce longiore.

Chonos Archipelago; C. Darwin, Esq.

Species S. sylvatic&aelig; siniillhna, sed folia angustiora, brevius petiolata et obtusiora creuisque obtusioribus; labium inferius coroll&aelig; minus profunde secta. S. Macr&aelig;i, Benth., (planta admodum variabili) quoque approximat habitu formaque foliorum, sed tubo corollas elongato exserto lobisque latioribus labii inferioris sat differt.

A plant, so very closely resembling the S. sylvatica, L., of Great Britain, that I long hesitated on the propriety of erecting it into a new species, but do so in concurrence with the opinion of Mr. Bentham. Mr. Watson, also, upon whose thorough knowledge of British plants, in all their exotic forms to which he has had access, the greatest reliance may be placed, has, with his usual kindness, given much attention to the present plant, and sums up the differences between it and European S. sylvatica, in the leaves of the latter not being so obtuse nor so obtusely serrate, and in the lateral lobes of the lower lip of the coroll&aelig; being more deeply divided. The leaves of the European S. palustris, L., however, he adds, vary from very acutely to quite as obtusely serrate.

Not being versed in the whole genus Stachys, which contains upwards of one hundred species, I was inclined to regard this plant as possibly intermediate between the S. sylvatica of Europe, and S. Macr&aelig;i of Chili. Mr. Bentham, however, entirely dissents from such an opinion after a most careful review of its characters, and, I need hardly add, that on his knowledge and experience we may rely for the validity of the species.