shire. It has also been received from James Ward, Esq.
from corn-fields near Applegarth, two miles west of Richmond,
in Yorkshire. Mr. Winch mentions it in fields near
Benwell, Denton and Elswick, in Northumberland, and as
found by Mr. R. B. Bowman at Crawcour, near Ryton in
Durham, which makes it a plant of that county, although
the habitat in English Flora, in reference to Mr. Backhouse,
is erroneous. It is probably a northern or alpine plant, as
it has not been noticed in the southern parts of this kingdom.
A specimen is preserved in the Smithian Herbarium from the
highest mountains of Switzerland, gathered by Davall, an
able botanist of that country, and the deservedly esteemed
friend of Smith.
This Yellow Rattle agrees with Rhinantlius Crista galli,
Engl. Bot. v. 10. 657. in the fibrous roots, lanceolate,
spreading, acute, sharply serrated, rough leaves; terminal,
bracteated spike of flowers; and smooth, bladdery calyx.
I t differs in being a large plant, considerably more branched,
in having narrower leaves, more dense spikes, yellowish
bracteas, terminating in an elongated green point; corolla
smaller; tube longer; segments of the upper lip also longer,
Avedge-shaped, purple; “ germen narrower and more tumid;
nectary heart-shaped, greenish;” seeds with scarcely any
flat membranous border.
The above differences are perhaps sufficient to justify Sir
James Edward Smith in supposing it to be specifically distinct
from jR. Crista galli, although it is very difficult to determine
this point accurately, without minute and frequent
investigations of the plant in a living state. If it should be
proved to be a species, the name of ramosissimus would be
far preferable, it being very doubtful whether the specimens
published by Ehrhart, in his Decades Herharum Einncei as
R. major are not the common R. Crista galli: nevertheless,
as it is certainly the R. major of the English Flora, it is
thought right to publish it in this work under that denomination.—
E. F.
Fig. 1. represents the seed of R. major-, fig. 2. that of
R . Crista galli.