1839.] Linnean Society. 47 



unions of two flowers, one third part of each having perished in the 

 junction. Various other monstrosities consisting in the union of 

 two flowers were compared with the subjects of the description, par- 

 ticularly some of CEnothera, flowers having 7 petals, 14 stamens, 

 and 7 stigmas, where the parts preserved in the union are in exactly 

 the same proportion as in the Irises. 



The third specimen described as a monstrous union of 4 flowers 

 in Scrophularia nodosa. The flower-stalk may be perceived to be 

 formed by the adherence of several stalks. The parts found are 15 

 sepals, 16 petals, 20 stamens, 2 separate ovaria, each with 2 carpels, 

 and a third ovarium formed by the adherence of 2 more, and con- 

 sisting of 8 carpels. Explanations were attempted of the manner in 

 which the union of 4 flowers would account for these numbers of 

 parts. The increased developement of the circle of stamens, 5 ap- 

 pearing for each flower, though of these several are united in threes 

 together, and two are imperfect, and the increased number of carpels 

 in two of the united flowers, are interesting facts. They show that 

 the union of the flowers had the eflfect of diminishing and rendering 

 more equable the pressure on the interior circles so as to allow of 

 the growth of parts which are usually abortive. 



There was also read, " A monograph of Streptopus, with the de- 

 scription of a new genus now first separated from it." By D. Don, 

 Esq., Libr.L.S., Prof. Bot. King's College. 



The genus Streptopus was established by the elder Richard in 

 Michaux's ' Flora Boreali-Americana,' and was intended to include, 

 besides the Uvularia amplexifolia of Linnaeus, which is to be regarded 

 as the type, two other species, then entirely new to botanists, namely, 

 S. roseus and lanuginosvs. The first is common to Europe and Ame- 

 rica, while the two last are confined to the latter continent. A fourth 

 species, a native of Gosaingthan and Kamaon, was described under 

 the name of simplex in the ' Prodromus Florae Nepalensis.' The lanu- 

 ginosus is considered by Professor Don as the type of a new genus, 

 which he has named Prosartes, and which is distinguished from 

 Streptopus by its lengthened filaments, binary pendulous ovula, and 

 terminal inflorescence. In Streptopus the filaments are short, with 

 erect sagittate anthers, the cells of its baccate pericarpium are po- 

 lyspermous, the seeds erect, and the flowers are axillary and solitary. 

 Both genera belong to the Smilaceee, and serve to connect that family 

 with Melanthacece. The characters of the new genus and of the 

 species belonging to both are here subjoined : — 



