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NOTES ON A NEW SUBSPECIES OF EUPHRASIA OFFICINALIS. 163<br />

le minima, mais les caraeteres tirent evidemment plus vers le<br />

hirtella. Le nom capitiilata mc parait bien clioisi : les petits exemplaires<br />

montrant les feuilles iiiferieures distantes entre elles comme<br />

dans le minima les superieures avec les fleurs ramasses vers le<br />

sommet de la tige."<br />

Towards the end of August, last summer, I had again the<br />

opportunity of revisiting the ground on which I first noticed the<br />

plant, and I found it abundant and exhibiting exactly the same<br />

characters. A little later in the season I went to the Grosse<br />

Scheideck, between Grindelwald and Kosenlaui, and I wrote the<br />

following notes on the evenings of the 6tli, 7th, and 10th of<br />

September :<br />

" Sept. 6th. To-day I ascended the Grosse Scheideck, and<br />

found, in considerable quantity, on the slopes below the hotel, and<br />

fi'om this to about 200 feet below it, a small form of Kuphrasia,<br />

which I at first took for E. capitulata mihi, but eventually recognised<br />

as a dwarf form of E. hirtella Jord. This dwarf form has<br />

pale green fohage, and the lower lip of the flowers is white or pale<br />

yellowish white ; in size the plant is somewhat taller than E. capi-<br />

tulata, the lower leaves and bracts are more distant, and these as<br />

well as the upper bracts are much broader, being almost orbicular,<br />

and with cordate base.<br />

" Later on I came upon a few specimens of my E. capitulata,<br />

which occurs but sparsely about here, and sometimes without any<br />

glandular hairs. I found I could readily distinguish this eglandular<br />

form from purple-flowered minimahy the spreading jointed hairs on<br />

the stem, those in minima being adpressed, and faintly, or not at<br />

all, jointed. This spot seems to be good botanizing ground, as it is<br />

broken and rocky, and water collects plentifully in several hollows,<br />

forming small pools in which Eriophorum Scheuchzeri Hoppe grows<br />

abundantly.<br />

" Sept. 7th. To-day I explored the broken ground to the east of<br />

the hotel, and here I found a taller plant which I knew to be the<br />

normal form of /•-'. hirtella. The small hirtella which I noticed<br />

yesterday was until this year new to me. I think it likely that<br />

botanists have passed it by as a form of E. minima, and that when<br />

recognised as small hirtella, it will be found that this subspecies is<br />

more generally distributed than is usually supposed. I recollect<br />

having noticed it above Miirren, and between the Wengern Alp and<br />

the village of Wengern. I am now convinced that E. capitulata<br />

must be looked upon as a distinct subspecies of the Hirtellre group,<br />

and not as a variety of /•,'. hirtdlu Jord. The hairs on the stem of<br />

hirtella and of capitulata are very variable in length, and are jointed<br />

distinctly ; some are spreading, and some are at first spreading and<br />

afterwards curved downwards, but they arc not adpressed. The<br />

hairs on the stem of minima are short, very indistinctly or not<br />

at all jointed, and tlicy are curved downwards and adpressed to the<br />

stem. Tlic veins of the calyx of E. mininia are very frequently<br />

dark purple. I have never seen those of E. cafntuUttn other than<br />

green witli purple spots, but the intermediate spaces between the<br />

veins have frequently dark purple streaks or blotches.<br />

M 2

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