1. E. centaurium, (Pers.) common or Gentian Centaury. Engl. Bot. t. 417. Locality. In dry barren pastures, on heaths, and sometimes in newly cut woods. A. Fl. July, August. Area, 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Generally distributed throughout Wilts. Stem, 8 or 10 inches to a foot high. Leaves opposite, sessile, smooth, bright green; panicles of flowers fascicled near the top of the stem, and forming a sort of corymb; corolla handsome, rose-coloured, sometimes white, expanding only in sunshine, and closing almost as soon as gathered. The plant is very bitter, and well known among herbalists as a stomachic, by the name of "lesser centaury." The following couplet of Joannes Postius proves the estimation in which it was formerly held: "Flos mihi suave rubet, sed inest quoque, succus amarus, Qui juvat obsessum bile, aperitque jecur." Which Gerarde thus translates: "My floure is sweet in smell, bitter my juice in taste, Which purge choler, and helps liver, that else would waste." GENTIANA, (LINN.) GENTIAN. Linn. Cl. v. Ord. i. Named from Gentius king of Illyria, who, according to Pliny, brought into use the species so much valued in medicine, the bitter Gentian, G. lutea. 1. G. amarella, (Linn) autumnal Gentian. Felwort. Amarella, probably from amarus (Lat.) bitter. Engl. Bot. t. 236. Locality. Dry calcareous pastures. A. Fl. August, September. Area, 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. In all the Districts but not very common. From 3 inches to a foot high, branched from the base, and covered with flowers, of a pale rather dingy purple; tube whitish, the mouth fringed with purplish tapering filaments covered with prominent dots. 2. G. campestris, (Linn.) field Gentian. Engl. Bot. t. 237. Locality. Hilly places on limestone soil. A. Fl. August, September. Area, 1. * 3 South Division. 1. South-east District, "Pewsey Downs," Flor, Marlb. 3. South-west District, "On the ascent to the ancient camp, called Clerebury, or Clarebury," Dr. Maton, Nat. Hist. Wilts. "Not uncommon on the Downs near Warminster," Miss Meredith. I have seen as yet no examples from the northern districts of the county. Similar to the last in general habit, but of more humble growth, paler herbage, and larger paler 4-cleft flowers, and essentially distinguished by having the two outer and opposite calycine segments ovate and very broad, covering the two inner, which are narrow and lanceolate. MENYANTHES, (LINN.) BUCK OR BOG-BEAN. Linn. Cl. v. Ord. i. Name. Menyanthes, is a word used by Pliny for a kind of trefoil. Linnæus derives the name from (men) a month, and (anthos), a flower, because the flowers continue open about that time. 1. M. trifoliata, (Linn.) trifoliate Buck, or Bog-bean. Engl. Bot. t. 459. Locality. In marshy and boggy places, watery meadows, and on the margins of rivers, and wet ditches. P. Fl. May, June. Area, 1 2. 3. 4. 5. South Division. 1. South-east District, "Marshes, Alderbury Common," Dr. Maton, Nat. Hist. Wilts. "Amesbury," Dr. Southby. 2. South Middle District, "Brooks near Patney Devizes, in company with "Geum rivale," Mr. William Salmon. 3. South-west District, Ponds at Longleat, and Stourhead, (perhaps planted). "Harnham," Mr, Jumes Hussey. North Division. 4. North-west District, "In a bog between Wraxhall and the Horse and Jockey," Flor. Bath. Chippenham," Dr. Alexander Prior. 66 5. North-east District, Canal between Morden and Purton. "Great Bedwyn," Mr. William Bartlett. Flowers very elegant, white, tipped externally with red, and beautifully bearded with the white filaments of the disk. One of the most handsome of our native plants. ORDER. POLEMONIACEÆ. (JUSS.) Linn. Cl. v. Ord. i. Named from polemos, (Gr.) war, according to Pliny; this plant having caused a war between two kings who laid claim to its discovery! 1. P. ceruleum, (Linn.) blue Jacob's Ladder. Engl. Bot. t. 14. Locality. On banks in moist woods, and bushy places. P. Fl. June, July. Area, 1. **** South Division. 1. South-east District, "In the water meadows between Pewsey and Manningford, among the reeds," Dr. Alexander Prior. (Wats. Bot. Guide.) Probably introduced, it being a species chiefly found in the north of England.1 ORDER. CONVOLVULACEÆ. (JUSS,) CONVOLVULUS, (LINN.) BINDWEED. Linn. Cl. v. Ord. i. Name. From convolvo, to entwine; whence comes, too, the English name bindweed. 1. C. arvensis, (Linn.) corn, or small bindweed. Engl. Bot. t. 312. Locality. In hedges, fields, and gardens, especially on a sandy or gravelly soil. P. Fl. June, September. Area, 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Common in all the districts, and a most troublesome weed to the farmer, as its roots spreads very much, and run deep into the soil —it is with great difficulty destroyed. 2. C. sepium, (Linn.) hedge or great Bindweed. Engl. Bot. t. 313. Calystegia. R. Br. Locality. In moist thickets, hedges, and amongst bushes, extremely common. P. Fl. July, August. Area, 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Recorded in all the districts. This common and conspicuous ornament of our hedges, may vie with many exotic species, in the "This plant has also been observed growing in a coppice, between Bathford and Kingsdown, (North-west District,) just on the borders of the county, where it is probably an escape from cultivation, although there is no house within halfa-mile from the spot.-T. B. F. amplitude and graceful structure of its fine white flowers, which continue to adorn the rural districts, and even the outskirts of our towns, almost to the end of Autumn. CUSCUTA, (LINN.) DODDER. Linn. Cl. v. Ord. ii. Derived probably from its Arabic name, keshout; or from the Hebrew chuz, to bind or surround. 1. C. Europaa, (Linn.) Greater Dodder, Dr. Prior gives us the etymology of the word Dodder as the plural of dodd, a bunch-dot, a hampered thread, from its striking resemblance to bunches of threads entangled in the plants on which it grows. Engl. Bot. t. 378. Locality. Parasitic on the stems of various herbaceous plants. A. Fl. July, September. Area, *** 4. * North Division. 4. North-west District, In the meadows between Dundas Aqueduct and Limpley Stoke. Stems very long, reddish, having small tubercles or papillæ, which serve as roots. Flowers in sessile globular clusters, white, tinged with red. Scales seem always to exist in the corolla, but from being adpressed are not readily observed. A larger and more robust plant than the next species. 2. C. epithymum (Murr) lesser Dodder. Engl. Bot. t. 55. Locality. Parasitical on Thyme, Heath, Furze, and other small shrubby plants. A. Fl. July, September. Area, 1. **** South Division. 1. South-east District, "On Furze, Alderbury Common," Dr. Maton. "Nat. Hist. Wilts." "Clarendon," Mr. James Hussey. "On Furze on Amesbury Down," Major Smith. "Pewsey," Flor. Marlb. Stems very slender, generally bright red or purple. Clusters of flowers small, globular, and very compact. Scales of the corolla more prominent, frimbriated, almost closing the tube. This species is much smaller than "C. Europœa (Linn.)” and "C. epilinum (Weihe)," especially in the flowers. 3. C. epilinum (Weihe) Flax Dodder. Engl. Bot. Suppl, 2850. C. densiflora Soy-Willm. Locality. Parasitical upon Flax, and very injurious to the crop. A. Fl. August. Area,*** 4* North Division. 4. North-west District, Flax fields at Winsley and South Wraxhall; introduced into Wiltshire with the cultivation of that plant. Stem twining round the flax plants, with heads about the size of peas, containing fewer flowers in a head than in C. Europaea (Linn.), much more succulent, and cellular when seen under a lens. Tube of corolla inflated at the time of flowering. Scales very minute, ad pressed, fringed with teeth, distant, with rounded spaces between them. 4. C. Trifolii, (Bab.) Clover Dodder. Engl. Bot. Suppl. 2898. Not C. Epithymum. B. trifolii. R. xviii., 1342. Locality. Parasitical upon red Clover chiefly. A. Fl. July, September. Area, ✶✶ 3. ** South Division. 3. South-west District, "Abundant on Clover in a field south of Wilton," Rev. E. Simms. Probably introduced with foreign seed. This plant is very nearly allied to C. Epithymum (Murr.), for which it is doubtless often passed over. The stem forms closer coils, and the plant grows in larger patches, killing all the Clover within the area. According to Professor Babington, it differs from C. Epithymum in having the scales narrow, only half the length of the tube of the corolla, distant, with the sinus between them rounded, and the connecting membrane forming cup-like spaces between itself and the tube of the corolla. The species of this genus do not appear to be frequent in Wilts, and not persistent in any locality. ORDER. BORAGINACEÆ.1 (DE CAND.) CYNOGLOSSUM, (LINN.) HOUND'S-TONGUE. Linn. Cl. v. Ord. i. Name. From (kuon, kunos), a dog, and (glossa), a tongue; in allusion to the shape and texture of the leaf. 1 Asperugo procumbens (Linn.) Engl. Bot. t. 661., is stated in Dr. Maton's "Nat. Hist. Wilts," to be abundant "On the hills above Wick," (South West District), Mr. James Hussey, and myself have repeatedly searched the locality for this scarce plant, but have never been successful in finding it (I believe that Lycopsis arvensis is at times mistaken for this. T. B. F.) VOL. XI.-NO. XXXII. S |