On the supposed Antheridia of Rhamnus. 141 



base of the tube, are 3 lines long ; the style is 3|^ lines in length ; 

 the lower moiety of the ovary is enclosed in the cup-shaped in- 

 duvial base of the corolla*. 



38. Lycium brevipes, Benth. Voy. Sulphur, 40; DC. Prodr. xiii. ; 

 — spinosum, glaberrimum, ramulis striatulis, subflexuosis, 

 nitidis, stramineis, apice spinosis; foliis solitariis, 2-3nisve, 

 cuneato-oblongis subovatisve, obtusis ; floribus parvis, bre- 

 vissime pedunculatis, solitariis; calyce brevi, poculiformi, 

 5-dentato ; corollse tubulosse tubo calyce 5plo longiori, limbi 

 laciniis 5, brevibus, rotundatis, reflexis; staminibus insertis. 

 — California. — v. s. in herb. Hook. — Magdalena Bay {Barclay), 

 specim. fiore manco, 



A spiny shrub with a barren aspect, apparently with few ob- 

 ovate leaves, which are 4 to 9 lines long, narrowed at the base 

 into a slender petiole, and 2 to 3 hues broad. The specimen 

 above referred to has only a single imperfect flower, with a pe- 

 duncle \ line long ; the calyx measures 1 line, the corolla 3 lines, 

 including the segments of its border ^ line in length ; more 

 perfect flowers, according to Mr. Bentham, are 5 lines longf. 



[To be continued.] 



XVI. — Note on the supposed Antheridia of Rhamnus. 

 By J. S. BuRDON Sanderson, M.D.J 



[With a Plate.] 



In Mohl and SchlechtendaPs 'Bot. Zeitung' for 1844, certain 

 peculiar organs are described by Dr. Grisebach as occurring on 

 the stipules of the rudimentary leaves forming the centre of the 

 leaf-bud of several species of Rhamnus and other plants belong- 

 ing to different orders. In these organs, to which he applies the 

 terra corynidia, Dr. Grisebach "finds .a structure which he sup- 

 poses to resemble that of the antheridia of the higher Crypto- 

 gamia. Any evidence to prove the occurrence of antheridia 

 among the Phanerogamia must, if confirmed, necessarily alter 

 the views which we are now entitled to entertain of the general 

 signification of the organs in question : it appeared therefore de- 

 sirable to repeat the observations above alluded to. With this 

 object I procured, through the kindness of Prof. Balfour, a suffi- 

 cient number of the buds of several species of Rhamnus, viz. 



* '1 i.is species with sectional details is represented {loc. cit.) plate 69 B. 

 t This species with floral sections is represented {loc. cit.) in plate 69 C. 

 X Read before the Botanical Society of Edinburgh, May 9, 1854. 



