*' Our plant of Vanilla planifoUa has produced flowers — 

 but no fruit — for several years. Last year in the No. for 

 March of the Annals of Natural History, I saw Professor 

 Morren's paper on the production of Vanilla in Europe, and 

 having followed the directions therein given for its artificial 

 fecundation, I succeeded in getting a number of the fruit to 

 set, — they have been about a year in coming to maturity. 

 Professor Morren says twelve months and a day is the exact 

 period. 



**The artificial fecundation consists in carefully removing 

 the retinaculum, which covers the stigmatic portion of the 

 column and separates it from the anther. The anther, which 

 is turned inwards, must then be drawn out and pushed down, 

 until it comes in contact with the bearded stigmatic part of 

 the column. As the flowers are of short duration, those which 

 are now sent will probably be withered before they reach you: 

 they may however be brought out in succession for some time, 

 by planting the branch in a pot among earth, and keeping it 

 in a stove, or perhaps in a warm room. In a stove I had a 

 branch last year, which brought out flowers in succession for 

 three weeks." 



143. SAKCOCHILUS unguicidatus ; racenio 3-4-floro, labelli unguiculati 

 trilobi ungue convexo lineari linea media exarata, lamina cava, lobis late- 

 ralibus semi-ovatis obtusis intermedio supra trinervi subtus globoso apice 

 papillseformi. 



A native of Manilla, where it was discovered by Mr. 

 Cuming. The flowers are light straw-colour, the side lobes 

 of the labellum white streaked with crimson, and the mid- 

 dle lobe rounded^ fleshy, and dotted with crimson. It is 

 rather a pretty species, for which I am indebted to Mr» 

 Bateman. 



144. ANAGALLIS alternifolia. Cavanill. ic. t. 506. f. 2. 



A very pretty little herbaceous plant, with trailing shoots, 

 covered with ovate leaves, and delicate yellowish flowers 

 tinged with pink. It belongs to the section Jirasehia, and is 

 nearly allied to the charming Anagallis tenella of our own 

 bogs. It was raised at Carclew from earth sent from Ptio 

 Janeiro, and I owe specimens to the kindness of Sir Charles 

 Lemon. The leaves smell something like Valerian. I find 

 no distinction between it and my wild specimens of the species 



