Essex, in September 1844, growing among corn, clover and
potatoes in several places round that town. Mr. Joshua
Clarke finds it at Chesterford, four miles from thence. This
still remains the oidy British station on record. It has not
appeared in any local list except that of Saffron Walden.
Galium Vaillantii differs essentially from G. Aparine, to
which it has been referred as a variety by several continental
botanists. The most distinctive characters are:—the numerous
small green flowers in cymes; the fruit very much
smaller and more glossy, owing to the hooked bristles being
less closely set; the linear-lanceolate leaves of a brighter
green colour: moreover it does not climb hedges. Three
years’ observation in Essex would not warrant this being
stated as a constant habit, were it not that all the foreign authors
acquainted with this plant as distinct from G. Aparine
are apparently aware of the fact. The nodes being smooth,
as stated by DeCandolle, will not form a character; they are
sometimes hairy in both species, though less frequently so in
G.M Vaaniyll aonft iit.he above remarks were suggested and all are
confirmed by Mr. Gibson, who, with Mr. Joshua Clarke, has
carefully watched the plant in its native soil in different stages
of growth. It appears wonderful that so many good botanists
should have overlooked the striking differences between this
plant and G. Aparine. It is not impossible that G. Aparine
minor of DeCandolle in his Prodromus, which is “ not uncommon”
in corn-fields, may have been erroneously taken for
G. Vaillantii, both in this country and on the continent, the
fruit being very small because the whole plant is diminutive.
There is undoubtedly much more affinity to G. spurium, Linn.,
long since found near Forfar by the late George Don: the
difference in that plant, being principally the want of bristles
on the fruit, it may fairly be considered a variety of G. Vail-
lantii, the more perfect plant and therefore the type. Wallroth
observes, “ G. spurium in systemate hodierno titulum vagum
praebet, et hinc ob errores innumeros melius omittitur.” This
is true as applied to the typical form of a species, but it may
still be used as the designation of a variety, and in this case it
is right to retain it for that form to which Linnaeus affixed
it, G. Vaillantii remaining the specific name.
ThGe alairurman gVeamilelanntt iwi iall, bheer:e— figured from fresh native specimens
communicated by Mr. G. S. Gibson.
/3. Gsp. uargiurmes,t eG /.3 .s pleuiroisupmer,m Loinn,n .W, aEl.l.B S. c1h8e7d1. .59*.—E. F.
* A similar arrangement may be adopted in respect to G. parisiense and
G. anGg.l ipcuarmis:—ien se oc, G. parisiense, Linn,y not yet found. m England_.
$. Gan. glliitciguimos,u Gm., aDnegCliacunmdo, llEe..B. 284.