i8o The Ottawa Naturalist. [January 



REPORT OF THE TENTH MEETING OF THE 

 BOTANICAL BRANCH. 



The second of the autumnal meetings of the Botanical Branch 

 met at the residence of Mr. James M. Macoun, on Thursday, 

 Nov. 5th. The members present were Messrs. Fletcher, John 

 Macoun, Clarke, Guillet, White, Attwood, Blackadar, W. T. 

 Macoun, St. Jacques, Campbell and J. M. Macoun. 



After the minutes of the previous meeting had been read 

 some specimens of the pepos of Er/iiuocysfis lohata were exhibited 

 in which the fibrous structure was beautifully. shown. The lufta 

 of commerce is of the same order — Cuciirbitacecc — and the fruit of 

 Ec/n'uocvsfis, when the cellular tissue has disappeared, resembles 

 in miniature the towel-gourd, Liiffn ^Egyphca, the dried fruit of 

 which is cut up and used as a flesh-brush. It is to be seen in any 

 drug-store. The fibrous interior of these gourds is knowp in 

 commerce under the various names louflf, loof, loofa, lief and liff. 

 Another species of Luffa — L. (icutdugiihi, the sponge-gourd — is 

 called " the strainer-vine," from the use of the fibrous net-work 

 contained in its fruit for straining palm-wine. 



Growing plants of Hepaiicn and (,'oiydalis, brought from the 

 woods the day before, were shown by Mr. J. M. Macoun. These 

 were about to flower, and a few days later the Hepatica was found 

 in j3loom by Dr. Fletcher. The occurrence o( Physalis grandijlora 

 only on burnt ground and never in abundance was commented on, 

 but no explanation was suggested. Dr. Blackadar introduced 

 the subject oi the propagation of the Lombardy poplar, and in the 

 discussion which followed it was brought out that only male 

 specimens of the Lombardy poplar had been seen in Canada b)' 

 any of those present and only female trees of the Abele poplar. 



Dr. Fletcher told of the use of Heuchera hispidii, alum-root, 

 for the cure of diarrhoea by Indians near Rat Portage, Ont. In 

 discussing reforestration by nature after forest fires Professor 

 Macoun showed that in the years immediately following a fire 



poplar and birch making the quickest growth are most in evidence, 

 the conifers growing more slowly not being seen ; these appear 

 later. 



The conclusion of the report of this meeting will appear in the 

 next number of The Natur.'VLISt. 



