TAMARIX GALLICA. 425 



the lobes of the disk seem gradually to pass into the filaments, 

 a conformation which escaped the notice of Professor Ehren- 

 berg, militate against this system, for in reality in these 

 species the teeth exist as in the others; they are merely 

 masked by the enlarged bases of the filaments, as may easily 

 be seen on throwing the light through them by transparence. 

 The same conformation is found in the disk of THchurus 

 p7/cnocephalus, (Decais?i. m Jacquem. Voyag. MSS,); and tliat 

 species differs from the original Trichurus, Wight and Arnott, 

 in this respect, as well as in the indefinite number of its 

 stamens. 



The type of the second division of tlie section Decadenia 

 of Professor Ehrenberg, is the T. Gallica, taken in a some- 

 what unusually comprehensive light. Under it are classed 

 nine subspecies or Havptvarietaeten, which are awaiting their 

 future destiny in a sort of limbo, — animce quihiis altera fato 

 corpora debentur. It behoves all botanists to hasten their 

 exit from this anomalous state, and aid in translating them 

 to a more permanent abode in the catalogue of nature. 

 Let us therefore pass them in review, and we shall find that 

 some are distinct species, some mere varieties, whilst two only 

 will remain, upon which from want of sufficient data it will 

 be impossible to decide with certainty, namely, T. [Gallica) 

 Chinensis, and T. {Gallica) heterophylla. 



T. [Gallica) subtilis, Ehrenb. — Professor Ehrenberg with 

 his usual acuteness perceived that there was a certain differ- 

 ence between a specimen of T. Gallica in the herbarium of 

 Wilhlenow, [ful. 1.), and the usual form of the species; and 

 moreover he found, in the herbarium of Von Chamisso, a 

 plant collected at Caen in Normandy, which corresponded 

 with it, and he suspects from this, and from their descriptions, 

 that the English and German botanists have had in view a 

 plant differing either specifically, or as a variety from the 

 southern form. He had however no ripe fruit, nor did he 



17IJ, that the disk of T. Africatia, did not differ from that of T. Canari- 

 ensis, whereas M. M. Decaisne and Spach were perfectly correct in their 

 description of it. 

 Vol. III.— No. 24. 3 I 



