344 Botanical Society of Edinburgh. 



gardener at Arniston ; also of Gottschea appendiculata from New 

 Zealand, collected by Mr. Sinclair. 



Mr. Sibbald exhibited flowering plants of Saxifraga hirta, which 

 he had received from Galtee More, in the county of Tipperary, one 

 of the few stations recorded for this species. Mr. Sibbald agreed 

 with Mr. Babington's views as to the distinctness of St hirta from 

 S. hypnoides and S. affinis, and referred to the figures in f English 

 Botany' as characteristic of the plants. 



The following papers were read : — 



1 . " On the Government Teak Plantations of Mysore and Mala- 

 bar." By Hugh Cleghorn, M.D., H.E.I.C.S. 



The author exhibited specimens of teak from the plantations of 

 Mysore and Malabar, and stated the glory of the Ghaut Forest was 

 its teak, the vast importance of which was becoming daily more 

 known and appreciated; the timber indeed had been long prized. 

 Bontius described the tree under the name of Quercus indica, though, 

 except as regards the timber, it has no resemblance to the oak. 

 Rheede has given an accurate representation of Tectona grandis, and 

 a good account of the teak forests of Malabar : — " Crescit ubique in 

 Malabar, at prsesertim in Provincia Calicolan (Calicut) ubi integreg 

 sylvse ingentium harum arborum reperiuntur. * * * Lignum 

 vero hujus arboris, quercino ligno haud absimile, operi fabrili accom- 

 modum, atque Naupegis ad navium fabricam in usu est : sed in aquis 

 (preesertim dulcibus) teredini facile obnoxium." Dr. Cleghorn stated 

 that he had travelled in 1847 the route followed by Buchanan in 1801 

 (see Journal, vol. in. p. 287), and that the teak forests therein men- 

 tioned had well nigh disappeared. Much attention is now given to 

 this important article of trade by the government of India ; planta- 

 tions have been established in Malabar and Mysore, and their present 

 thriving condition gives the prospect of eventual success. 



2. "On Chantransia, Desv." By John Ralfs. This paper will 

 be found at p. 302. 



3. " Notice of Belenia prcealta of Jacquemont." By Dr. Balfour. 

 Dr. Balfour stated that the plant exhibited by him at the last meeting, 

 as a species of Hyoscyamus, turns out to be the Belenia prcealta of 

 Jacquemont. The genus Belenia differs from Hyoscyamus in its 

 corymbose inflorescence and more regular flowers. The plant is de- 

 scribed and figured in Jacquemont' s work. It grows on the Hima- 

 laya at great elevations, and towards the northern slope, abounding 

 on the elevated flat plains. The plant in the Botanic Garden was 

 raised from seeds sent by Major Madden to Mr. Moore of Glasnevin. 



4. V Remarks on some Australian products." By Samuel Moss- 

 man. Mr. Mossman exhibited specimens of the following products 

 brought by him from Australia : — 



1. New Zealand Flax. 



2. " Kauri Gum," of commerce. — " This is a very pure resin from 

 the Dammara australis or Kauri Pine of New Zealand, and has been 

 erroneously termed a gum by the settlers. The tree bears fertile and 

 sterile cones, and sheds its bark like the Eucalyptus of Australia. 



