OBSERVATIONS. 



173 



a few vascular tubes iu the connec- 

 tive. The capsule was well formed, 

 covered by a plate of eight stigmas 

 but not enclosing any seeds. So 

 far we have been examining a very 

 curious monstrosity ; but what makes 

 it still more interesting is the fact, 

 that upon five capsules thus altered, 

 two bore three flowers on the recep- 

 tacle, and the three flowers were 

 at equal distances from each other." 

 " It is well known that certain Pa- 

 jpaverccw, and amongst them, all those 

 belonging to the small group, with 

 compound ovaries, have three sepals, 

 and further that a variety of P. 

 hracteatum is monosepalous. Does 

 it follow, then, that in this genus 

 there is a fusion of three sepals into 

 two ? I hesitate to say so. All my 

 researches on living plants, at all 

 periods of development, shew me 

 nothing to authorize this. To quote 

 from a letter of my illustrious coun- 

 tryman, M. Decaisne: 'As to fusion, 

 I candidly avow that I no longer 

 believe in it, and I am persuaded 

 that the whole theory of fusions, 

 abortions, and so forth, has had its 

 day, and henceforth at least there 

 will be no further question of it. 

 Take good care of making too much 

 of cases effusion and abortion, it is a 

 commodious way of explaining 

 things but not a true one.' " 



Rosaalpina(L.)inBritain."We]iaiYe 

 received a communication from Mr. 

 John Sim, of Perth, in which he 



states that Dr. White recently 

 brought to him specimens of this 

 plant, which he had gathered on 

 Kinnoull Hill, to be named. Mr. 

 Sim enclosed a specimen- of the 

 plant in his letter, and also for- 

 warded specimens to Prof. Babing- 

 ton, and Mr. J. G. Baker, of Thirsk, 

 for identification. We hope in our 

 next number to give a full descrip- 

 tion of the plant and its discovery, 

 with the remarks of the above-named 

 gentlemen on its claims on the 

 British Flora, &c. 



Curious effect of Grafting. — Some 

 time ago, in a public garden of this 

 place, a branch of elm was grafted 

 on an oak in the expectation of ob- 

 taining a tree half of which would 

 be an elm and half an oak. Con- 

 trary to the expectations of the 

 gardener, however, the following 

 was the result: — The tree com- 

 menced budding this spring, and 

 when the leaves appeared it was 

 found that each branch, nay even 

 each twig, had both oak leaves and 

 elm leaves growing upon it, in place 

 of there being separate branches, 

 each bearing a difi'erent kind of leaf. 

 I will only add that the tree is 

 in full leaf, and I have just obtained 

 a cutting, which I intend to culti- 

 vate if possible ; and I hope next 

 spring to be able to inform the 

 readers of the " Naturalist " of the 

 result of my endeavours. I also 

 enclose a sprig for your examination, 



