﻿402 Proceedings of the Club 



species now described. These new species were exhibited, and 

 remarks were also made by Dr. Rusby descriptive of the habits 

 and appearances of these plants as they grow in the Andes. 



Dr. Britton spoke of the interest attaching to the Piperaceae as 

 the simplest type of the Dicotyledons, because of the simple char- 

 acter of the carpel, fruit, and tissues. Dr. Rusby referred to the 

 separation of Saururus from the Piperaceae, and to Dr. Henry's 

 investigations now in progress upon a Saururus in China. 



3. The next feature of the evening was the exhibition by Dr. 

 Britton of a large and interesting set of blue prints from tracings 

 made from Mexican plants. The originals were sent by Mocino 

 and Sesse to M. Alphonse De Candolle at Geneva ; but these and 

 the accompanying text remained unpublished. Recently the text 

 has been issued by the Mexican Natural History Society. The 

 elder De Candolle furnished a series of tracings to Dr. Gray from 

 which the blue-prints exhibited have been made at the instance of 

 Dr. J. N. Rose, of Washington, D. C. An index and preface to 

 the blue-prints has been supplied by M. Casimir De Candolle. 



4- The subject next following was that of those members of 

 the Convolvulaceae which form large fleshy roots, introduced by 

 Dr. Rusby, who exhibited specimens of the roots of Ipomoca pandu- 

 rata sent by Mr. C. R. Beadle, of Biltmore, N. C. Three fusiform 

 roots reached each from 3-4^ feet long, 3-5 inches thick, and 

 also developed at least one foot of slender root above, below the 

 surface of the ground. One of these was forked, suggesting ft 



name of « Man-in-the-Ground." Medicinally, it is used as a pur- 

 gative. 



Dr. Rydberg referred 



a 



leptophi 



JpOJllOt 



where 



its roots serve as a storehouse for moisture as well as for starch- 



Dr. Rusby suggested that the resinous matter found in these 

 roots may be primarily a waste product, but is perhaps useful to 

 the plant as a means of preventing its being eaten by enemies. 



5- The next communication was from Mrs. E. G. Britton, on 

 " A Hybrid Moss." Mrs. Britton exhibited contribution No. 7 

 from the Herbarium of Columbia University, reprinted from th 

 BULLETIN for February, 1895, showing plate 23 1, to illustrate a 

 hybrid of Apkanorktgma scrratum coll^rferl hvr nnimmond near 



