130 Palaeontologie. — Floristik, Geographie, Horticultur, etc. 



The sporangia show spores, apparently ungerminated, which 

 measure as little as 32 jii in diameter, while those, which are in 

 course of germination , have a swollen appearance, with a transverse 

 diameter approaching 50 |U. Enlarged drawings are given of the latter» 

 in which the rhizoids of the germinating spores are clearly seen. 



The conclusion that the mode of reproduction of Stauropteris 

 oldhamia was essentially that of a true Fern is important as throwing 

 light on the systematic position not only of this genus but of the 

 Botryopterideae , to which Stauropteris, both in the mode of insertion 

 of its sporangia, and in its anatomical characters, is more closely 

 related than to any other family. The sporangium with germinating 

 spores, previously described by the same author in 1904, has much 

 in common with that of Stauropteris, and may probably prove to 

 have belonged to another species of the same genus. 



Arber (Cambridge). 



Baker, R. T. and H. G. Smith, On an undescribed species 

 of Leptospermum and its essential oil. (Proc. Roy. Soc. 

 N. S. Wales. December 1905). 



The "Lemon-scented Leptospermum", the species described in 

 this paper occurs in the North Coast District ofNew South Wales 

 and the Southern Coast District of Queensland. It is a shrub 

 attaining a height from 6 to 12 feet, with erect branches and small, 

 lanceolate, ovate leaves; the flowers occurring in the axils of the 

 leaves on the Upper branchlets. The fruits measure about two to 

 three lines in diameter. Its differentiation from described species is 

 based on both morphological and chemical characters, although the 

 former are alone sufficiently marked to Warrant its specific rank. It 

 may possibly in the past have been confused with some of the 

 varieties of L. flavescens, but apart from well marked taxonomic 

 characters none of those species give a lemon-scented odour. The 

 leaves and terminal branchlets of this plant yielded 0.227°/^ of an 

 essential oil containing a considerable amount of citral. This appears 

 to be the first time that the oils of the Leptosperma have been 

 investigated , and the indications for the previously described species 

 are not commercially promising. However, other species will be 

 worked as opportunity offers. The marked lemon odour given by 

 the leaves when crushed appears to be characteristic of this species, 

 and is an aid in its discrimination. Besides citral (35°/^) the oil 

 contained dextro-rotatory pinene (25'^/ J, an alcohol considered to be 

 geraniol (9.74°/o), an ester most probably geranyl-acetate (5.35°/^) and 

 a sesquiterpene. Citral is the only aldehyde present in the oil, as 

 proved in several ways. The crude oil was soluble in an equal 

 volume of 80°/o alcohol, but not in 10 volumes 70°/o alcohol; it had 

 a specific gravity 0.8095 at 15° C, a refractive index 1.4903 at 16° C, 

 and a rotation in a 100 mm. tube of 9.2 degrees to the right. The 

 pinene, which on a final rectification, boiled between 155—157° C, 

 had a specific gravity 0.8601 at 15° C, a refractive index 1.4706 at 

 20°, a rotation ä^-\-?>b.^°, and gave a nitrosochloride melting at 103°. 

 The purified citral obtained both from the crystalline bisulphite, and 

 from the soluble Compound, gave in both samples a refractive 

 index 1.4913 at 20°, a specific gravity 0.8937 at the same temperature; 

 it had the odour of citral and also gave the naphthocinchoninic acid 

 for that aldehyde. The non-aldehydic portion of the oil had a specific 

 gravity 0.8866 at 20°, rotation + 13.4° and refractive index 1.4855 



