16 Linnean Society. [Feb. 6, 



In his catalogue of these specimens Mr. Yates followed the ar- 

 rangement and adopted the names of Miquel in his ' Monographia 

 Cycadearum,' 1842, and of Brongniart in the ' Ann. des Sc. Natu- 

 relles,' s^r. 3. tome 5, 1846. 



In the course of his communication the author offered the follow- 

 ing remarks : — 



Genus Cycas. 



Cycas revoluta. — Since the year 1799, when a female plant of this 

 species flowered at Farnham, as described by Sir James Edward 

 Smith in the 6th volume of the Linnean Transactions, a considerable 

 number of the same sex have flowered in this country. Five indivi- 

 duals might be mentioned, which are now in a flowering state. On 

 the other hand, only one male plant is known to have flowered in 

 our island. This was formerly at York, and is now in the Botanic 

 Garden at Sheffield. Its cone, or rather spike, nearly a metre in 

 length, is preserved in the museum of the Yorkshire Philosophical 

 Society, and exhibits in a very -striking manner the affinity of this 

 genus to the rest of the Cycadece, whilst the female cone of Cycas 

 diflfers greatly from that of all the other genera. 



Genus Macrozamia. 



Macrozamia spiralis. — The genus Macrozamia, the scales of whose 

 cone, whether male or female, are distinguished by terminating in a 

 single spine, directed upwards, appears to be very closely allied to 

 the Dioon of Professor Lindley. It is difficult to distinguish the young 

 seedlings of these two genera. The only perceptible difference is, 

 that in Macrozamia the leaflets are contracted at the base, and are 

 more remote from one another than in Dioon. Also in both of these 

 genera the leaves of the young plants differ most remarkably from 

 those of the same plants in the adult state. Macrozamia, as well as 

 Dioon, approaches Cycas in the circumstance, that the leaflets are 

 decurrent, whereas in the remaining genera, Enceplialartus , Zamia 

 and Ceratozamia, they are not at all decurrent, but are contracted at 

 the base and join the midrib of the leaf by a distinct articulation. 

 The decurrent leaflets of Macrozamia spiralis are especially apparent 

 in the young plants. 



Genus Encephalartus. 



Encephalartus brachyphyllus. — A male plant flowered last year at 

 Chatsworth. The cone appeared early in May, and was full-grown 

 in two months. 



