ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 113 



Among Dr. G. Eisen's Fresno collection is a marsh herb of the Gratiola- 

 like group, although quite at variance with the 2-fertile stamened genera and 

 species, with transverse, confluent, or united roundish, or even saggetate an- 

 thers; besides, in this plant they are not approximated, nor is the style sim- 

 ple, lips of stigma flattened, etc. The peculiar features, therefore, necessitate 

 generic recognition, whatever may be best deemed their ultimate destination. 



Ranapalus. K. 



Calyx 5-parted, unequal in size, about equal in length, outer three broad- 

 est; crolla bell-funnel form, tube short, throat ventricose with a sub-rotate 

 bonier, glabrous within, about equally 5-lobed, segments flat, somewhat lip- 

 ped — y % upper larger ( ?) — cleft or deeply emarginate; lower three more spread- 

 ing; stamens four, all fertile, subdidynamous, erect, distant, subexserted, 

 nearly equal ; anthers of two distinct elliptical cells, vertically parallel, fixed 

 by the middle to a flattened subulate simple filament; style straight or scarcely 

 a little curved, nearly as long as the stamens, about equally 2-lobed, stigmas 

 capitate, crenated or toothed (rarely again subdivided); capsule inclosed 

 chiefly by the two largest segments of the calyx, 4-valved, completely 2-celled 

 by the free placent.t; seeds covering the whole surface. Generic name from 

 rana (frog), palus (swainp), its habitat, to indicate its North American repre- 

 sentation of the South American genus Ranaria, with which it is almost iden- 

 tical. 



Ranapalus Eisenii. K. 



Roots, fibrous; stem, a span high, dichotomously much branched from the 

 base, lateral branches often prostrate, sarmentaceous, not articulated, com- 

 pressed, 3-nerved, more or less pubescent, or subglabrous below, almost hir- 

 sute above; leaves opposite, sessile, obovate, obtuse to obovate-oblong, often 

 a little oblique, slightly narrowing at the broad base, glabrous, sparsely dot- 

 ted, fleshy, entire, about 5-10-nerved; peduncles axillary, solitary (or 1-2), 

 compressed, pubescent, about as long as the leaves, %-%-inch long, 1-flow- 

 ered. The color of the flower creamy white, chrome yellow shaded throat and 

 tube, indigo blue anthers; capsule ovate-oblong, acute, many seeded, inserted 

 over the broad surface of the placental partition, chiefly along the longitudi- 

 nal double dark central band of each cell; seeds linear-oblong, slightly nar- 

 rowing to the base, rough, cinnamon brown, scarcely appendiculate, and very 

 obscurely margined. Flowers, 4-5-lines across, and about the same in length. 



The resignation of Theo. A. Blake as Corresponding Secretary, 

 was read and accepted, and the appointment of his successor re- 

 ferred to the Council. 



Mr. Harford exhibited curious samples of wool, growing first 

 black, then white, then black again — not colored artificially. 

 Presented by B. P. Flint & Co. 



