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23G ON SPARGANIUM.
perhaps, not altogether surprisnig, as its distribution is not known
to extend to Russia.
In continuation of former notes, I now give the following
additional counties whence I have seen specimens of 5^. ramosum
and S. neglecturn —
5. ramofium Curtis.—Devon north, W. P. Hiern ; Essex north,
J. C. Shenstone ; Suffolk east, W. M. Hind; Hereford, A. Ley ;
Pembroke, C. Bailey ; Elgin, G. C. Druce ; Easterness, G. C. Druce.
S. neylectum Beeby. — Cornwall west, C. A. Wright; Devon
south, W. P. Hiern; Devon north, W. P. Hiern; Wilts north,
W A. Clarke (com. Arthur Bennett) ; Dorset, — Galpin (com.
Arthur Be^meti) ; Hereford, A. Ley ; Pembroke, C. Bailey.
The more southern range of 8. neylectum continues to be fully
confirmed by such specimens as have been seen up to the present
time. The occurrence of the plant in one locality in Denmark
(Neuman sp. !) in about the same latitude as Berwick-on-Tweed
makes it possible, however, that it may be found so far north as the
South of Scotland, although it can only be expected to occur as a
rare plant in such latitudes.
Variation.—The Sparyania, like all water-plants, present a very
much wider range of states due to local or temporary conditions
than is, naturally, the case with land-plants ; and these states, as
with other aquatics such as Bairachium, Putatnoyeton, &c., are often,
elevated to the rank of varieties. I am disposed to regard the
S. ramosum var. microcarpum Neuman as the only case of a good
variety of a British species which I have yet seen in the genus.
Even here intermediate forms certainly occur, but the variety is
generally well-marked, is quite permanent, occurring in quantities
where no other form is to be seen, or maintaining its characters
year after year when growing mixed with S. ramosum type, S.
neyledum, and S. simplex ; and that it is not the result of local or
temporary causes or conditions I have proved. It is true that in
the excellent account of this genus, from the pen of my friend Dr.
Neuman, in the new edition of ' Hartman's Flora,' several other
varieties are described; but taking, for example, his varieties
ft and y of S. a fine, I can regard them as nothing more than
respectively a land state, and a depauperate alpine or hyperborean
state, of the type. The land state, so far as Britain is con-
cerned, I have only seen in Watson's Herbarium at Kew, from the
and the label mentions that the plant grew on
old Surrey station ;
mud, the pond having dried up in 1870, when Watson gathered it.
When I gathered S. ajfine at the very same spot in Surrey, in 1888,
the pond was decidedly wet ; so much so that I had to wade oyer
knee-deep to get the plant at all. That year the plant was quite
typical (ijfine, and was indeed afterwards confirmed by Neuman as
his type, a zosterafolium ! The size of heads, length of peduncle,
&c., are liable, as "in S. simplex, to an unlimited amount of variation,
according to local circumstances. The .S. simplex var. lonyissimMin
Fries I can also scarcely regard as anything more than a state,
though in some doubt whether it may not be desirable that it should
appear in our lists as a form, owing to its being so characteristic of