EEV. H. B. TRISTRAM ON CTPERUS PAPYRUS IX PALKSTINE. 329 



to favour this supposition. But while this would seem to be 

 effected by the stamens springing up in Medicago, as also in 

 Genista and Oytisus (though in these two and, perhaps, other 

 instances there appears to be no curvature of tlie staminal tube), 

 the more general way would seem to be by the depression of the 

 carina with or without that of the al^e. This has been already 

 observed by Mr. Darwin and others in Trifolium, Lupinus^ Pha- 

 seohcs, &c., and by the present writer in Onolri/cltis, Lotus, La- 

 thyrus, &c. 



Hypothetical Origin of Diadelphoiis Stamens, — It would seem 

 probable that the diadelphous condition of the stamens, and the 

 fact that the sheath gapes at its base, favour the uprising of the 

 bundle. Had the stamens been monadelphous, their future con- 

 dition would be apparently more or less impeded by the corru- 

 gations on the upperside w^hich would, on that hypothesis, have 

 presented themselves. If the above idea be worthy of consider- 

 ation, might not the diadelphous condition of other species, whose 

 stamens liave no power of erection, be regarded as instances of 

 the retention of a particular structure wliose function is in abey- 

 ance ? while the greater degree of integration presented by the 

 luonadelphous species would seem to point to a further advance 

 in structure by the complete fusion of the U2)per stamen with the 

 anterior nine, so that those species which have diadelphous 

 stamens would be in a transition state between entire freedom or 

 differentiation (as in Cercis sili^na strum) and complete integra- 

 tion (as in Ulex, Genista, &c.). 



Note on the Existence of the true Cyp&rus Papyrus, L., in Palestine. 



By the Eev. H, B. Tristram, M.A., F.L.S. 



[Read March 1, 1866-1 



DuBijs-a my travels in Palestine in 1864, I was pleased to find a 

 Papyrus growing luxuriantly by the shores of the Lake of Galilee, 

 close to the Ain et Tin, on the north of the plain of Geunesaret. 

 Some stems which I measured exceeded 10 feet in length. 



I afterwards found in the almost inaccessible marshes of the 

 Huleh (the ancient Mcrom) many acres of the same plant. It 

 is noticed by Dr. Thomson in his ' Land and Book,' who gives 

 a fair popular description of the plant under its familiar Arabic 

 name o^ " Baleer'' but without knowing that the classical and 



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