July 1891.] BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH. 167 



of another series opened. The new shoot arose from a node 

 4J inches below that forming the point of origin of the 

 second shoot. Its larger bract was leaf-like, and 2i inches 

 long. It branched as usual, and reached the height of 21h 

 inches. The main portion bore seven flowers, the branch 

 (subtended like the former one by two bracts) bore five 

 flowers. The last flower opened on the 22d April. The 

 development of the three successive branched portions of the 

 inflorescence was thus basipetal 



The great extension of the time of flowering was evidently 

 largely due to special conditions of culture. The drying-off 

 system of inducing the plant to come to rest was perhaps 

 not rigorously carried out, and, as no seed was borne, no 

 exhaustion had taken place. Nevertheless, after taking 

 these matters into account, one would not expect an inflores- 

 cence to retain its vitality for a period of seven and a half 

 months, and such a record is probably seldom met with. 



On Temperatuee and Vegetation at the Eoyal Botanic 

 Garden, Edinburgh, during June 1891. By Egbert Lindsay, 

 Curator of the Garden. 



During the month of June, the principal feature of the 

 weather was its excessive dryness, and as the absence of 

 rain followed a long drought lasting throughout the whole 

 of the past spring, the marvel is that its effects have not 

 been more serious on vegetation. A good fall of rain took 

 place on the 26th, after which all danger from drought 

 was at an end. Eain fell on seven days during the month. 

 No frost occurred ; the lowest night reading of the ther- 

 mometer was 37° on the 10th, and the highest 56° on the 

 18th. The lowest day reading was 54° on the 1st, and the 

 highest 81° on the 29th of the month. 



The foliage of all forest and ornamental trees is now 

 complete, except several North American trees, such as 

 Tulip Tree, Liquidambar, Catalpa, and Deciduous Cypress, 

 which are still far behind. Conifers are developing fine 

 clean growths. Ficca and Abies particularly so. The 

 different species of Pinus are flowering most profusely this 



