18 
DECEMBER 8TH. 
ORDINARY MEETING.—AN EVENING FOR THE 
EXHIBITION OF SPECIMENS. 
The Rev. J.C. Watrer exhibited a curious flower, which had 
been in his possession since 1848, and to which the name of ‘‘ The 
Rose of Jericho” had been given, and which, when placed in water for 
a short time, unfolded itself. He believed it came from Palestine, and 
had been informed by a Persian, to whom he some years since ex- 
hibited it, that the same plant was common in some parts of Persia. 
Was the opening of the flower to be considered dynamical,—i.e., me- 
chanical force,— or an example of lingering life ? 
Mr. Wonror pointed out that this plant was not the true Rose of 
Jericho— the Anastatica hierochuntica— which belonged to the Cruci- 
fere, and in which the whole plant curled up, was torn up by its roots 
by the wind, and blown along the ground until it reached moisture, 
when it uncurled and scattered its seeds ; but that this was the Mesem- 
bryanthemum Trifolium, and belonged to the ice-plant family. Most 
of the so-called Roses of Jericho came from the Cape or South Africa. 
When put into water for the first time the seeds might be seen 
arranged in the carpels. There was another plant, called the Resur- 
rection Plant —Lycopodiwm leptophyllum—a dry specimen of which he 
exhibited, and which differed materially from any of the others, for, 
when placed in water for six hours, it might be planted, and would 
then grow like any other lycopod. This was a true case of lingering 
life, while the others were purely hygrometric action, of which there 
were plenty of examples among plants. Among seed-vessels might be 
mentioned the stork’s bills, one of which—Erodiwm moschatum—was 
used by Mr. Mallett in 1836 as a hygroscope. Some of the Members 
would recollect seeing a very ingenious hygrosccpe, contrived by Mr. 
D’Alquen and Dr. Hallifax, in which the awn of a foreign EHrodium 
formed the motive power. The so-called growing of seeds, as seen in 
thin slices of Collomia and Salvia, when placed in water, was caused 
by the uncoiling of spirals ; while the action of the spores of Equisetum 
was known to all microscopists. 
Mr. R. GuaisyerR exhibited some pieces of lias, from Dudley, 
containing fossils, among which was a perfect trilobite. 
Mr, Naso exhibited shale, from which the petroleum oil is 
