71 



I have frequently been indebted for the safety of his friend's 

 collections." — Copy of a note from Mr. Bateman. 



156. SCHIZONOTUS tomentosus. (Spiraea Lindleyana, Wallich cat. no. 703.) 

 A handsome and new hardy shrub, from the cold northern 



provinces of India, introduced by the East India Company, 

 and recently raised in the Garden of the Horticultural Society. 

 It has the habit of Spiraea sorbifolia, but has downy leaves, 

 and the flowers, with which I am unacquainted, appear from 

 the fruit-bearing specimens, to be produced in very large 

 panicles. 



The genus Schizonotus was merely mentioned in Dr. 

 Wallich's catalogue, as one which 1 proposed to form upon 

 this species and Spirsea sorbifolia. It has since been regarded 

 by Meisner (tab. gen., diagnost. p. 103), as a section of Spirsea, 

 without his being aware of the character on which I conceive 

 the genus to be established. I may therefore take this op- 

 portunity of stating that, as the name (Splitback) indicates, 

 the character is taken from the remarkable cohesion of the 

 carpels into a 5-celled capsule, whose cells split open at the 

 back for the escape of the seeds. This is I conceive a cha- 

 racter of importance enough to eliminate from Spirsea the 

 two remarkable looking shrubs in which it occurs. 



157. CATASETUM deltoideum. Bot. Reg. fol. \S96. (Myardhus.J 



In a former volume of this work it has been related how 

 the species of Orchidaceous plant which was called Myanthus 

 barbatus, with a revolute bearded lip, and a column with 

 two feelers, changes by a marvellous metamorphosis, into what 

 was also called Monachanthus viridis, thus proving not only 

 that the supposed genera Myanthus and Monachanthus are 

 the same, but that they are mere forms of Catasetum itself. 

 A new case of this kind of variation, previously unheard of 

 and unsuspected in the Vegetable Kingdom, has been ob- 

 served by Mr. Dunsford, who has brought me a scape of 

 Catasetum deltoideum, figured at fol. 1896 of this work, in a 

 similar state of alteration. The scape itself has become three 

 times as stout as usual, the length of the raceme is much re- 

 duced, the sepals and petals retain their form and colour ; but 

 the labellum, instead of being arrow-headed, flat, deep purple, 

 toothed at the base, and placed in front of the flower, has 

 become of exactly the same form as that of Monachanthus 



