234 



HARDWICKVS SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



BOTANY. 



Rose of Jericho.— I have read with surprise your 

 correspondent's note in the July number upon the Rose 

 of Jericho. From my boyhood, the name has been 

 familiar to me as designating Anastatica hierochuntica 

 (L.), and it was not until about twenty years ago, that I 

 saw' seed vessels of Mesembryanthemum Tripolhim, in 

 a bookseller's window in Comhill, London, exposed for 

 sale as "The Rose of Jericho ;" all the authorities 

 which I possess are against such an appropriation of 

 the name. In Linneus's " Systema Natune," by 

 Persoon, dated 1797, the plant, Anastatica hierochun- 

 tica, is called Rosa hierochuntica* The "Encyclopedia 

 of Geography," published 1834, under the head of 

 " Turkey in Asia "—Botany, page 880-gives a figure 

 of the Anastatica hierochuntica or Hygrometric Jerosa ; 

 and states that, loosened from the arid plains and rocks 

 where it grows in Syria, it is driven by the winds to 

 the shores of the Mediterranean. Lindley, in the 

 " Vegetable Kingdom," describes the same plant as 

 the Rose of Jericho, and states that it is a native of 

 Egypt, and that (the tradition is) having first bloomed 

 on the eve of the Redeemer's birth, it continued open 

 until His resurrection ; a fact, if it be one, that proves 

 that that season was rainy.f Dr. Lindley refers to 

 the "Gardener's Chronicle" for 1842, page 363, for 

 further information upon the subject. Mr. Bennett, in 

 " Outlines of Botany," vol. ii. section 3878, adds to 

 the history of the Anastatica, that in Palestine it is 

 named Kaf Maryam, St. Mary's flower, or the Holy 

 Rose ; and he relates, as the late Dr. Macgowan 

 did, when he kindly gave me some of the specimens 

 which I possess, that the plant, in its dry and collapsed 

 state, is in much request by mothers in Jerusalem and 

 elsewhere, from a superstitious belief that, if im- 

 mersed in water, when the first maternal pains are 

 felt, the expansion of the plant will indicate the pro- 

 gress of the labour, and its full development the birth 

 of the infant ! Dr. M. added that some people would 

 give its weight in gold to secure the treasure. That 

 the Anastatica was popularly known as the "Rose 

 of Jericho," sixty years ago, I have this evidence : An 

 old lady of Dublin, a friend of my family, possessed 

 one which I saw, and ardently hoped she would 

 give me ; but on her husband's death, she joined the 

 Church of Rome, and made over to the priests all she 

 had, the "Rose of Jericho" included. I was a boy 

 when that happened, but it made a strong botanical 

 impression upon me against Popery, which the gift 

 of several of the plants by friends, since that time, has 

 not quite effaced.— Gerard Smith. 



* Loudon, in "Encyclopedia of Plants," dated 1829, gives 

 the same Latin and English names ; and states that it was 

 introduced and cultivated in this country 111 1597, i™'" the 



Le t a Ji t ' hierochuntica is distributed along the shores of the 

 Mediterranean, and upon deserts between Syria and Larbary. 



Preserving the Colours of Flowers.— I have 

 used for several years the following solution, for 

 preventing flowers, while drying, from losing their 

 colour. Water 500 grammes, alcohol 400 grammes, 

 salicylic acid 4 grammes. The flowers should be 

 steeped in the above solution for a few minutes. This 

 in answer to R. B. L.'s demand in the April number 

 of Science-Gossip.— £. Lefevre, Rhams. 



Cvteriullar Fungus.— With reference to a 

 notice by Captain Aitken, F.G.S, inSciENCE-GossiP, 

 May, 1880, page 97, and the paragraph by Dr. M. C. 

 Cooke in a subsequent number, page 140, on the 

 subject of Caterpillar Fungus from Ceylon, will you 

 kindly allow me to remark that I did not understand 

 from Dr. Cooke that it was " a very old species " ? 

 On the contrary, I was under the impression that 

 though the characteristics of the genus were well 

 known, this particular species was probably unde- 

 served. It was on this account I left specimens with 

 Dr. Cooke for examination. I am glad, however, 

 to 'find now on Dr, Cooke's authority, that the 

 species is Torrubia Melolontha (Tul.) ; and I am sure 

 Captain Aitken cordially agrees with me in not 

 desiring to increase species unnecessarily. In an 

 " Enumeration of the Fungi of Ceylon," by the Rev. 

 M. J. Berkeley, F.L.S., and C. E. Browne, Esq., 

 F.L.S., in the Journal of the Linnean Society, 

 vol.'xiv. Botany, 'page no, there are mentioned the 

 following species of Fungi as parasitic on the larvae 

 of insects : " 976. Cordiceps militaris (Fr.) On dead 

 pupa. Nuwara Eliya, Central Province, 1S68. Bright 

 crimson, varying much in size. 977- Cordiceps Bar- 

 nesii (Thvs.) On larvce of Melolontha. 978. Cordiceps 

 sobolifera (Berk.). Torrubia sobolifera (Tul.) On 

 larvae of some lamellicorn insect at the roots of coffee 

 trees." Whether the species quoted by Dr. Cooke 

 as Torrubia Melolonthce (Tul.) is identical with any of 

 the above I am unable to say, but I believe readers 

 of SCIENCE-Gossir will thank Captain Aitken for 

 having placed the character and history of these 

 peculiar fungi before them in so interesting and 

 graphic a manner.—/). Morris, Jamaica. 



"British Wild Flowers by Natural Ana- 

 lysis," by F. A. Messer. This is quite a "new 

 departure" in botany, and simplifies the diagnosis 

 of British plants in a wonderful degree. On one side 

 of every page we have a pictorial delineation of 

 every organ characteristic of each genus of British 

 plants and on the other the usual letterpress descry 

 lion ' As the eye travels rapidly over the illustrated 

 page it takes in at one view all the contents, and so 

 presents to the mind a comprehensive view of the 

 subject. The distinctive features of classes, divisions, 

 natural orders, genera and species, are thus recognised 

 at a "lance. We regard this work as a great boon 

 to the botanical student in every way, and it ought to 

 command a large success. The publisher is D. Bogue, 

 3 St. Martin's Place, Trafalgar Square, V* .C. 



