42 
time an object of great interest in the garden of the Horti- 
cultural Society, where hundreds of persons have visited it 
and admired its piles of lilac-coloured fragrant flowers. The 
following little calculation will serve to shew how wonderful 
is the evidence afforded by this single specimen of the creative 
power of Nature. 
The number of branches was about 9000, and of flowers 
675,000. Each flower consisting of 5 petals, the number of 
those parts was 3,375,000. Each flower contained 10 stamens, 
or the whole mass of flowers 6,750,000. Each ovary con- 
tained about 7 ovules, so that preparation was made for the 
production of 4,050,000 seeds, for the purpose of fertilizing 
which the anthers, if perfect, would have contained about 
27,000,000,000 pollen grains. Had all the petals been placed 
end to end they would have extended to the distance of more 
than thirty-four miles. 
Physiological Works of the late Thomas Andrew Knight, Esq. 
It will be satisfactory to those occupied in physiological 
researches to learn, that there is in preparation for imme- 
diate publication a selection from the papers and correspon- 
dence of the late Mr. Knight. That these materials are in very 
good hands I have no doubt; but 1 must beg to contradict, 
as wholly destitute of foundation, the statement made in some 
of the newspapers that they are confided to my care. 
75. CORYANTHES speciosa; var. alba. 
A pale, indeed almost white, variety of this extraordinary 
plant has lately flowered in the collection of Thomas Brockle- 
hurst, Esq. of the Fence, near Macclesfield, who obtained it 
from Demerara. Mr. Appleby, the gardener at the Fence, 
informs me that the pseudo-bulbs are four in number, five 
inches long, tapering from the root to the insertion of the 
leaf, and deeply furrowed; the leaves are sixteen inches 
long, of a very long oval shape in the widest part, which is 
near the middle, one inch and three-quarters wide, deeply 
ribbed, and of a light green colour. The flower-stalk is one 
foot to the first flower and four inches beyond it, bearing four 
flowers. He thinks it probable that the flowers will be more 
numerous and larger as the plant becomes stronger. The 
