REVISION OF I IE BRITISI SPECIES OF SAGINA - BSBI Archive

WILLIAMSJ
SAGINA.
201
in the Breadalbane district (F. B. White, Flora, p. 86; and Brown,
1794, in Herb. Brit., 'at great heights even near the summit of
Ben Lawers '); between 945 to 1022 metres on Ben Lawers (J. H.
Balfour, 1864, and (E. S. Marshall, 1887, in Herb. Brit.); to 1070
metres on Ben Ein (W. R. Brunton, 1864, and E. So Marshall,
1887, in Herb. Brit.); corrie near the summit of Stob-Coire-an-
Easain-Mhor above Loch Triag, in Inverness-shire (ex herb. ]. H.
Morgan, 1891, in Herb. Brit.); to 1006 metres on the Grampians
of Aberdeenshire (G. C. Druce in Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist. 1900, p.
168). Perthshire. Common in 'the Breadalbane district, on grassy
alpine slopes, rare elsewhere. The earliest specimen I have seen
is an example from Meall Ghoardie (G. Don, Dawson Turner, 1789,
in Herb. Kew.). This is the find mentioned by Hooker, Fl. Scotica,
p. 145 (1821); and incidentally referred to by Smith, Engl. Bot.
t. 2105 (Jan. ~810h-' Received from the late Mr. J. Mackay, who
gathered it on Ben Lawers in 1794; Mr. G. Don appears to have
found it previously on Malghydy.' I t was first recorded .as a
British plant by Smith, Fl. Britannica, ii. p. 504 (1800);-' on Ben
Lawers, where it was discovered by Mr. J. Mackay in 1794"
Smith, Engl. Flora, ii. p. 339 (1824), gives a good description of
the plant under the Linnean name of Spergula saginoides, but
seems to have had his doubts about the right genus. He says,-
, This is altogether a Sagina in habit, very much resembling the
common. procumbens; but without adverting to number or size,
the structure of each part, carefully examined shows sufficient differences.'
S'candinavian specimens seem to have more frequently
five stamens instead of ten.
B. nivalis (Hook. Stud. Fl. Brit. Islds. p. 66, 1884, as subspecies).
In crespitibus parvis densis. Cauliculi nani, circiter 30 mm.,
laterales atque centralis adscendentes ramosi. Folia basalia vix
rosularia. Pedunculi cum floribus omnino recti.
Stat. Bare places on alpine ridges in Perthshire and Argyllshire.
First recorded as a British plant (from Ben Lawers) by Watson,
in Journ. Bot. 1863, p. 355. The same thing was apparently
gathered there by R. K. Greville before 1840 (see Trans. Proc.
Bot. Soc. Edinburgh, xiii. p" 95). Ascends to 1200 metres near
the summit of Ben Lawers (l.c. xxi. 18