3:30 TRANSACTIONS AND I'ROCEEDINGS OF THE [Sess. Lxrv, 



In Lehmaun's " Eevisio Potentillarum " (Nov. Act. xxiii. 

 Supp., 1856), 204 species, and many varieties, are minutely 

 described. Here the genus is elaborately subdivided — 

 primary characters being derived from the general habit, 

 branching of the leaves, and the intiorescence axes, with 

 the position of the individual flowers. For the ultimate 

 divisions, characters are derived from the carpels — glabrous 

 and villous, — and the colour and shape of petals. 



Bentham and Hooker ("Genera Plantarum," 1865) 

 include the genus, along with Dryas, Geum, Fragaria, 

 and others, in the tribe Potentilleie of Eosacere. 120 

 species are admitted, but it is pointed out that the great 

 variability of the group has led to the number of species 

 being raised to 220 by other authors. 



By Baillon (" Xat. Hist.," 1871) they are placed in the 

 same series as Fragaria, Sihhaldia, Jluhus, Geinn, and 

 Dryas. He gives 250 as the figure for tlie species, but 

 remarks that this should be reduced by one-third. 



Eichler ("lUuthendiagrammen," 1878) includes them in 

 the same tribe as the Eubea?. 



Schimper . C Text Book of Botany," 1894) follows 

 Eichler, forming of them, along with Fragaria, Fahus, 

 etc., the sub-family ltuboide;e. Warming (" Systematic 

 Botany," 1895) repeats Bentham and Hooker, including 

 the genus with Coraarum, Fragaria, Geum, and Dryas in 

 the tribe Potentillete. Since Lehmann's " Eevisio " was 

 published new species are described, so that if there is 

 a tendency to contract the group on the one hand by 

 amalgamating old species, it is being slowly added to 

 on the other by the discovery or manufacture of new forms. 



It was on purpose to ascertain whether there might 

 not be some features in the minute anatomy that might 

 serve as auxiliary character for purposes of classificatiou 

 that this study of the anatomy of the group was 

 entered upon. It was begun on the suggestion of Dr. 

 ]\Iucfarlane, and material was supplied, at first, from the 

 Botanic Garden, Edinburgli, to tlie Eegius-Keeper of which 

 I take this opportunity of tendering my best thanks. 

 Subsequently researches were made on material grown 

 from seed supplied by Prof. Cornu, of the Jardin des 

 PI antes, Paris, to whom also I ex[)ress my indebtedness. 



