PKOCEEDINGS or THE SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES OP LONDO]N'. 291 



2. " Note on tlie genera Darwinia and Bartlingia'^ by the 

 President. In this paper, Mr. Bentham showed that the original 

 genus Darwinia of E-udge ought to include the later ones, Genetyllis 

 of De Candolle, Sedaroma of Lindley, Folyzone of Endlicher, and 

 8chuer7)iannia of E. Mueller. Owing to Eudge having overlooked 

 the minute calyx lobes, and misunderstood some other points of the 

 structure of his Darwinia, it was generally referred to Monochla- 

 mydeae, and hence was overlooked by De Candolle when working 

 up Myrtaceae. The latter overlooked the staminodia, distinguishing 

 his Genetyllis from Chamadaucium expressly by their absence, and 

 hence Lindley established Sedaroma, giving to it characters which 

 are really common to De Candolle's and to Eudge's species, although 

 omitted in their descriptions. Of Darwinia thus extended, Mr. 

 Bentham noticed twenty-three species, which he distributed under 

 the sub-genera Hedaroma with eleven species, GeneUjllis \vith six 

 species, and Schuermannia with six species. Barlingia founded on 

 specimens of Sieber's, and inexplicably retained in Myrtaceae by 

 Schauer, Mr. Bentham finds to be none other than Pulteneya ohovata, 

 with the buds in the young stage when the sepals and petals have 

 not gro^Ti into the irregular form characteristic of Papilionacese. 



Felruary IQth, 1865. 



The following were read : — 1. " Notes on JPueraria, DC." By 

 George Bentham, P.L.S. — The author states that the supposed 

 articulation in the pod of Fueraria is only a contraction between 

 the seeds where an ovule has failed, which appears to be frequently 

 the case, — and that his genus Neuctanthus, which was established 

 for Doliclios phaseoloides, Eoxb. and some allied species, must now be 

 merged in Fueraria. A short synopsis is given of the characters of 

 the ten species which the author places in the genus Pueraria. 



2. " Notice of some Vegetable Monstrosities." By George 

 Dickie, A.M., M.D., P.L.S., Professor of Botany in the University 

 of Aberdeen. — The monstrosities observed were 1. CheirantJius 

 cheiri, in which the six stamens were entirely changed into a 

 compound ovary, each piece entirely adherent and concealing 

 the ordinary seed vessel. In advanced stages this body gave 

 way at the apex, opening on two sides between the parts repre- 

 senting the long stamens, thus allowing the true ovary to pro- 

 trude. 2. Flantacjo major. In this case the entire plant is far more 

 luxuriant than usual : most of the bracts are large; in some the length 



