HARDWICKKS SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



4i 



which adhered a somewhat similar formation proceed- 

 ing from the fusion of two or more flowers, forming a 

 cup or vase not quite so long or shallow. These two 

 structures adhered to each other by the outer surfaces 

 of their compound corollas, and seemed as if they 

 were made up together of about five or seven flowers. 

 This curious phenomenon proceeded apparently from 

 fasciation : not from fusion of lateral flowers, for the 

 fused flowers were all equally terminal. In the Can- 

 terbury bell, as in other species of Campanula, the 

 sub-terminal flower does not expand till after those 

 on the lower branches, and therefore is considerably 

 later than the flower which terminates the stem. By 

 keeping in view this rule, the synanthic termination 

 of a fasciated stem may be easily distinguished from 

 any possible fusion of lateral flowers. No other in- 

 stance of synanthy was observed on the plant where 

 this occurred, though it had a profusion of well- 

 formed single flowers. Another plant which flowered 

 at the same time bore flowers each of which had a 

 double corolla. Nothing in the flower was mis- 

 shapen. The inner corolla was bell-shaped like the 

 outer, and its segments alternated with those of that 

 within which it was. The stamens too alternated 

 with the segments of the inner corolla, a fact which I 

 noticed in several flowers and think of some import- 

 ance, as it would place them in a different position 

 with reference to the sepals than is the case with 

 stamens of a flower whose corolla is single. All 

 these plants have since died. When withered flowers 

 were removed, or the plants were not exhausted by 

 ripening seeds, other flower buds grew and were ex- 

 panded, but no leaf bud was developed that might 

 form the basis of a new growth. No foliar prolifica- 

 tion was to be found in any of the plants whose lives 

 were strictly limited, so that it seems as if they can- 

 not by any means become perennial. — John Gibbs. 



Teratological Notes. — I see in the September 

 number of Science-Gossip a short account of the 



Fig. 41. — "Monstrous" Calceolaria; A, ordinary corolla; 

 B, elongated hollow corolla, terminating in a small open- 

 ing at c. Reduced J. 



malformation of a common cabbage leaf. My slight 

 experience of a similar phenomenon may be of inter- 

 est. Some two or three years ago I came across a 

 similar instance to that mentioned by your corre- 



spondent. In my case several of these curious leaves 

 were produced on the same plant within a short 

 period of time, all more or less resembling one 

 another. I have been informed by a friend that he 

 has observed the same appearance in a geranium 

 leaf. I have enclosed a rough sketch of curious form 

 in the flower of a calceolaria. Two of these have been 

 produced at about the same time on different plants 

 in the same garden. I may mention the plant under 

 consideration was not the common yellow variety, but 

 a rich red-coloured species known to gardeners by 

 the name "Prince of Orange." — A. H. Hintor. 



Teratology of Clover. — I have found a head 

 of Alsike clover, in which all the pistils are trans- 

 formed into foliage leaves, similar, but on a smaller 

 scale, to a single lobe of the regular leaves. — B. K. 



Exceptional Fruitfulness of Mosses this 

 Season. — Is it the general experience of muscolo- 

 gists that the present season is an exceptional one 

 with regard to the fruitfulness of mosses ? In this 

 district several kinds not generally in fruit are found 

 with fruit, such as Hypnum puriim, squarrosum, 

 taniariscinum, triquetrum, loreum, &c. In an excur- 

 sion of a few hours lately my brother and I found 

 nearly sixty different species, more than one-half of 

 which were in fruit. — R. Wood, Rosley Vicarage, 

 Carlisle. 



New Species of Isoetes. — Dr. Moore has re- 

 cently given an account of a new species of Isoetes 

 found in Upper Lake, Bray, county Wicklow, Ire- 

 land, which has been named I. Moorei. It strongly 

 resembles /. lacuslris. 



White Varieties. — I found two perfectly white 

 plants of Geranium pitsilluni by a roadside in South 

 Devon last autumn. In Science-Gossip for 1875, 

 page 68, there is an account of a white variety of 

 G. molle: as both nearly resemble each other, one of 

 us may be mistaken. They are not mentioned in any 

 botanical work I have seen. — R. W. IV. 



Ranunculus Ficaria. — Whilst taking a morning 

 walk, at the beginning of last year, I was surprised to 

 find what a difference occurred with regard to the 

 number of petals in the lesser celandine {Ranunculus 

 Ficaria). The smallest number I counted was six, 

 and the largest on one flower was sixteen, just double 

 the usual number. Frobably in the latter case, some 

 of the stamens had been converted into petals, but at 

 that time I did not think of observing whether this 

 was the case or not. — J. A. Weldon, Northallerton. 



A New Species of British Moss. — At a recent 

 meeting of the Linnean Society Mr. E. Holmes 

 showed examples of a species of Moss, Aulacomnion 

 turgiduni, new to our British cryptogamic flora. 

 This acquisition had been obtained by Mr. West, a 

 Bradford botanist, in Yorkshire. Mr. Holmes made 

 some remarks, and comparisons between this species 

 and A. palustre. 



