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SHORT NOTES. 217
associated with Mr. Bentham in the preparation of the ' Flora
AustraUensis,' and was referred to by the veteran botanist in the
preface to that work as " a young but able assistant" in the Kew
Herbarium. As is well known, a serious illness, which seemed at
the time likely to disqualify him for further work, compelled
Mr. Hemsley to resign his post in 18G7 ; but, fortunately for
science, the termination proved satisfactory, and Mr. Hemsley has
steadily advanced in work and knowledge. It is only necessary to
refer to the botanical portion of the ' Biologia Centrali-America,'
to the Botany of the ' Challenger,' and to the important Flora of
China, now in course of publication, to show that Mr. Hemsley is
fully qualified for the post which he now occupies, and for which
his work in the Kew Herbarium for a long period of years has
completely fitted him.
That the three botanists—one in his honourable retirement,
two in their new official positions—may long continue to pursue
their career of distinguished usefulness is, w^e are sure, the sincere
hope of all their fellow-workers, as it is that of the Editor of this
Journal.
SHOET NOTES.
RuMEX PRopiNQuus J. E. Aresch., in Britain.—In Dr. Trimen's
' Notes on some Scandinavian Plants ' (Journ. Bot., 1872, p. 333),
this plant is mentioned as likely to occur in the north of Britain. A
form gathered by me in Shetland in 1888 has recently been determined
as this hybrid, and it will doubtless be found in many places
on the mainland of Britain, where R. crispm and B. domesticiis
grow together. The resemblance which the plant bears to R. conspersiis,
pointed out by Dr. Trimen, may cause the plant to be
sometimes overlooked. Although I was unable to determine the
plant with certainty myself, and it seemed to me to differ from R.
compenus, I have apparently distributed a few examples of it
(No. 1027) under the latter name.—W. H. Beeby.
Pavonia hastata Cav.—A plant with the habits of Ahutilon or
Ilihisciis was growing in my grecnliouse, and I watched it for a long
time, waiting to see its flowers expand ; but at length the buds (as
I believed them to be) turned yellow, so I opened them by force (the
sepals being united together), and found they contained fully grown
seeds. I then examined apparently young buds, and found they
contained little crumpled flowers (not much larger than a pin's
head), in which the styles were bent back upon the few monadclphous
stamens, so that the stigmas were pressed against the
anthers ; seed was thus produced within the unopened petals and
cohering sepals, which only open when the seeds are perfectly ripe.
For some time the }'lant continued to produce such clandestine
flowers. Then buds which could not be distinguished from thora
opened and developed birgc pretty flowers, of a light pink
colour, and an inch and a lialf in diameter. In these large flowers
the styles stood erect on a long monadelphous column, upon which