343 
trees in woods should be removed as soon as noticed, unless the 
injury is of a trifling character and can be easily treated. 
The frequency ye which trees broken off re from 15 to 
20 feet from the ground are met with appears to us to require 
more than passing robe The fact of = breaking at this point 
is due to the wood becoming rotten in this region though it is 
healthy above Fe below. As the Fpacalion of Nectria ditissima 
is chiefly to be seen in the same region, it is thought that this 
fungus may be principally ses aneee for the rottenness of the 
wood, The fungus being a wound parasite an explanation of this 
localisation of attack should be attempted. Wounds made by fallen 
ranches would account ior the entrance of the fungus, but the 
badly diseased places would then be expected to occur on various 
parts of the trunk from base to summit, therefore some other cause 
must be looked for. It has occurred to us that this may be sun- 
burn following thinning of the trees. During a certain parts of the 
crack and enable ici spores to gain an entran 
Fruetifications of Polyporus adustus are also common on the same 
region of the trunk. 
The black ping Melogramma spiniferum, as stated above, is 
generally found on the roots and on the base of the trunk. Thes 
parts of the tree are very liable to bark-injuries by animal ‘a 
human agency. Such injuries would account for the inlet of the 
fungus spores. 
XLVI—DECADES KEWENSES 
PitantraArum Novarum 1n Hersario Horr Reait 
CoNSERVATARUM. 
DECAS LXII. 
611, Biophytum a Sprague [Geraniaceae-Oxalideae] ; affine 
B. somnianti, G. Don, a quo bracteis quam flort ribus_ brevioribus, 
sepalis pro rata latioribus minus attenuatis differt. : 
Herba erecta, caule 5°5 em. longo appresse piloso. Folia 8, apice 
caulis quasi verticillata, 3°5-8 cm. longa, 3-6-juga; foliola ter- 
minalia oblique obovata, 2-3°2 em. longa, 1°3-2'2 em. lata, cetera 
deorsum sensim minora, basi truncata, intermedia subtrapezoidea, 
infima triangulari-ovata. Pedunculi 4 em. longi, erispule pubes- 
centes, multiflori. Sepala ee acuminata; setula 0°5-1 mm. 
longa terminata, 6°3 mm. longa, 1:7 mm. lata, pilis acutis minute 
ciliata, extus Sapllintolon:: 7 -9-nervia. Corolla alba, aap! basi 
excepta gamopetala ; tubus 6 mm. longus, basi foraminibus 5 tri- 
angularibus vix 0°5 mm. longis; lobi reflexi, oblongo-obovati, 
explanati 4°5 mm. longi, 3°5 mm. lati. Stamina 7. antisepala, 
breviora antipetala; filamenta breviora 3-3°3 mm. longa, sursum 
angustata, glabra, extus basi glandula vix 0°4 mm. diametro ; 
