72 a REPORT-—1845. 
groscopic powers of the atmosphere, when dehiscence immediately takes:placevand 
allows of the escape of the spores and elaters. The origin of the elaters Dr. Allman 
was inclined to refer to a metamorphosis of certain cells of the same nature as those 
which constituted the walls of the sporangium. 
On a Monstrosity occurring in Saxifraga Geum. 
By Professor Atuman, M.R.L.A. 
This monstrosity was discovered by William Andrews, Esq., on the mountains of 
Kerry, about three years ago. Mr. Andrews has cultivated it in his garden, and finds 
its characters remarkably persistent, remaining from year to year in the same plant, 
and being even capable of perpetuation by seed. 
The three external verticels are normal, but between the stamens and pistil there 
is developed a series of adventitious carpels crowded upon the margin of a cup-like 
production which surrounds the lower half of the pistil. 
These adventitious carpels are characterized by the anomalous fact of having their 
backs turned towards the axis of the flower. They bear numerous ovules, which, as 
the margins of the carpels never unite, are always exposed, and present the appear- 
ance of a gland-like ring surrounding the pistil. The ovules belonging to the adven~ 
titious carpels acquire a very considerable degree of development, becoming com- 
pletely anatropous like those contained within the normal ovary, and a distinct primine, 
secundine and nucleus, with a well-marked vascular raphe, can plainly be seen. 
Dr. Allman explained the singular character of this monstrosity by supposing the 
existence of a series of secondary axes which are given off in a whorl between the 
stamens and the primary axis of the flower. These secondary axes terminate each in 
its flower, which however is reduced nearly to the lowest possible condition of deve- 
lopment, the three outer whorls being absent, and all those pistillary carpels which 
would, if present, have their faces turned to the primary axis, being also in a state of 
complete abortion. The secondary axes then adhere with each other and with the 
normal pistil, so as to form the cup just described, and the existing carpels of the 
secondary axes necessary have their backs turned to the normal pistil, being refer- 
able to these axes and not to the primary axis of the flower. 
Professor Henslow exhibited a specimen of Papaver orientale, in which the fila- 
ments of the stamens were converted into bodies bearing ovules. 
On Practical Means for the Advancement of Systematic Botany. 
By J. Bart, M.R.LA. 
In the present state of systematic botany we require more accurate and extensive 
observations and experiments with respect to the variations of the forms of plants than 
have yet been made, and that the forms of descriptive botany should be modified so 
as to exhibit the whole of the forms contained in the larger groups and their mutual 
relations in a more philosophical manner. 
The great impediment to the progress of natural history has been the want of union 
between observers and thinkers, those who study the details of the science and those 
who speculate on its general aspects and theory; in order to facilitate and forward 
their union, it seems desirable that botanists of both classes should agree upon a well- 
considered series of observations and experiments which should be conducted in a 
public botanic garden, where the requisite precautions as to securing the accurate ob- 
servance of the conditions agreed upon, the preservation of specimens, and the keep- 
ing a proper register, might be adopted and enforced; and, finally, where the expe- 
riments would not be exposed to the interruptions and other accidents which threaten 
individual observers. 
If, for instance, two groups of plants were selected, in one of which the individual 
forms approximate very nearly to each other, and in the other the species appear well- 
characterised by constant characters, and a number of individuals of each of a series 
of forms were exposed to the action of all the causes which we know to be capable of 
modifying the development of vegetable form, the best means being taken for isolating 
