366 BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 
those countries. The shape of the leaf is much like that of small spe- 
cimens of Pyrola rotundifolia ; and the general habit and texture and 
glabrous surface of the leaves resemble some Statice. It belongs to 
Mr. Bentham's section Umbellata, of the genus Eriogonum, and the 
affinity is perhaps with the Z. umbellatum of Dr. Torrey: but there 
are no stolones in our plant, no pubescence, only two bracteal leaves, 
and the umbels are few-flowered. The colour of the flowers in the 
dried state is pale buff. 
Tan. X. Eriogonum pyrolafolium. 1. Involucre with its flowers. 
2. Single flower :—magnified. 
BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 
Botanical News from Italy. 
Florence, 11th October. 
We have received the two first numbers of the * Rendiconto della 
Società Reale’ of Naples for this year, both containing botanical me- 
moirs. The first is M. Semmola’s account of his researches on the 
chemical composition of Magnolia grandiflora : they have led him to 
the discovery of a new immediate neutral principle, which he calls 
Magnoline ; it is bitter, can be crystallized, and is to be found excelu- 
sively in the bark, especially of the root. The same parts of the tree 
contain also a little gallo-tannic acid, some resin, and two extractive 
substances, one of which has the property of imparting a dark violet- 
colour to salts of iron. It is principally to magnoline, the author adds, 
that Magnolia grandiflora owes the eminent febrifuge qualities which 
his experiments have shown him this plant possesses. 
The second memoir contains the description by M. Briganti of a 
monstrosity in the fruit of Opuntia vulgaris, furnishing an additional 
. proof that the inferior ovary of this plant is produced by a portion of 
the stem, and not by the leaves or carpels, 
Professor Tenore has given in the same periodical a translation, ac- 
companied by notes and a plate, of M. Sodoffsky's article on Ullucus 
tuberosus, published in the ‘Bulletin de la Société des Naturalistes de 
Moscou. . 
.. In the sitting of the 7th August, of the Accademia dei Georgofili of 
