A Letter from John Hope, M. D. F. R. S. Professor of Physic and Botany in the University of Edinburgh, to William Watson, M. D. F. R. S. on a Rare Plant Found in the Isle of Skye

XXXIII. A Letter from John Hope, M.D. F.R.S. Professor of Physic and Botany in the University of Edinburgh, to William Watson, M.D. F.R.S. on a rare Plant found in the Isle of Skye. Sir, Read May 4, 1769. I SEND you, inclosed, a description of a rare plant, with a print of it of the natural size. It was found, September 1768, in a small lake in the island of Skye, by James Robertson*, whom I had sent there in search of new or rare plants. The whole of it, except the head and top of the stalk, was under the surface of the water. Wherever the water was shallow, the bottom of the lake was covered with this plant, whose roots were so closely interwoven, that in some places large patches were torn up by the agitation of the waters, or other violence, and found floating on the surface, matted together. The plant, when seen without its flowering stem, resembles somewhat the Calamaria Dill. Hist. * Mr. James Robertson is an eleve of mine, and has been employed by the commissioners of the annexed estates to make a botanical survey of the distant parts of Scotland. At first sight I fancied it to be the same, and that the *Calamaria* had not been found with its flowering stem: more careful comparison convinced me they were different plants. Although it differs, in many circumstances, from the generic characters of the *Eriocaulon*, yet I am inclined to think it is the *Eriocaulon decangulare*, which has never yet been described, or properly figured. I have the honour of being, Dear Sir, Your most obedient servant, Edinburgh, 10 April, 1769. John Hope. ERIOCAULON DECANGULAR E. Radix perennis, solida, interne alba, ex cujus parte inferiore oriuntur plurimae radiculae teretes, simplicissimae, pennae passerinae crassitudinis, albæ, fere pellucidæ, per totam longitudinem dissepimentis opacis, transversis, sive articulationibus interceptæ, in centro harum per totam longitudinem est linea quaedam opaca. Extremitates describere non audeo, quia in singulis speciminibus mihi oblatis, omnes radiculae ruptae fuerunt. Sapor radiculorum primo insipidus est, levi postea cum acrimoniâ. Folia Radicalia, ex parte superiore radicis oriuntur plurima, sub-erecta, similia quod ad figuram externam, et simili modo disposita ac in Agave Americana: sesqui-unciam longa, lata basi, margine integerrimâ, sensim attenuantur in apicem acutum, pagina inferiore convexa; superiore concava, nervosa: et spatia, his nervis longitudinalibus definita, iterum dividuntur dissepimentis transversis, singulis singulis propriis, ut in figura. Truncus scapus erectus; e centro foliorum oritur, vagina tenui membranacea, apice bifido, duas uncias longa, respectu nervorum et dissepimentorum foliis simili, inclusus, subteres, fistulis septem in ambitu conflatius, supra vaginam nudus, contortus. Fructificatio androgyna in capitulo terminali, globoso, imbricato. I i 2 Calyx CALYX communis, squamis plurimis, nigris, subrotundis, concavis, membranaceis; parte superiore ciliatis; duæ sunt series florum fœmineorum in radio. FLOS FOEMINEUS IN RADIO. Squama, ovata, nigra, superne ciliata sensim desinens in unguem brevem, externe adstat singulis flosculis. CAL. PROP. perianthium diphyllum, foliolis ovatis, concavis, nigris, superne ciliatis, in unguem angustam sensim desinentibus. Not. cilia squamarum sunt alba. COROLLA dipetala, petalis albis, oblongis, concavis, sensim desinentibus in ungues angustos, apice et dorso ciliatis, et macula nigra in medio fere laminæ notatis. PISTILLUM germen compresso-subrotundum, stylus brevis, stygmata duo longa, filiformia. PERICARPIUM capsula compresso-subrotunda, nigra, bilocularis. SEmen in singulis loculis unicum, læve, dissepimento affixum citrini coloris, ad apicem umbilicatum. FLORES MASCULI IN DISCO PLURES. Squama adstat flosculis masculis, ut in fœmineo flore. CALIX perianthium diphyllum foliolis cuneiformibus, concavis, ciliatis. COROLLA Corolla monopetala infundibuliformis, ore bilabiato, fimbriato. Stamina filimenta (quatuor?*) filiformia, longitudine, corollæ, vel longiora. Antheræ nigræ, oblongæ. Edinæ, Apr. 1769. J. Hope, M. & Bot. P. * Staminum numerum definire vix audeo. EXPLICATIO TABULÆ XII. Fig. 1. Plantæ ut naturaliter crescunt. Fig. 2. Planta unica seorsim exhibita, ut apparuit aqua immersa et inter lucem et oculum visa. a Capitulum magnitudine auctum. b Scapi fragmentum magnitudine auctum. c Fibrilla radicis magnitudine aucta. d Folium transverse sectum magnitudine auctum. PARTES FRUCTIFICATIONIS. A Squama calycis communis. B Squama quæ singulis flosculis fæmineis adstat. C Foliola duo perianthii proprii flosculum fæmineum tegentia. DD Eadem foliola perianthii proprii e situ naturali remota. E Pars germinis. F Petala GG Eadem petala e situ naturali remota. H Germen. I Stylus. K Stygmata. L Pericarpium transverse sectum. M Semina duo. N Squama quæ singulis flosculis masculis adstat. O Foliola duo Perianthii proprii. P Petalum. R Petalum apertum ut insertio staminum appareat. S Petalum staminibus remotis. T Stamen. XXXIV. Astro- EXPLICATIO TABULÆ Fig. 1 Planta ut naturaliter crescunt. Fig. 2 Planta unica seminum exhibita et apparuit aqua immersa et inter lucem et oculum visa. a. Capitulum magnitudine auctum. b. Capsi fragmentum magnitudini aucti. c. Fibrilla radicis magnitudine aucta. d. Folium transverse sectum magnitudine auctum. ERIOCAULON DE CANGUI