THE EMBRYO-SAC OF AGLAONEMA II5 



(4) Campbell, D. H. — "Studies on the Aracese" Annals of Botany, 



xiv. 1-25, 1900. 



(5) Campbell, D. H. — " Studies on the Aracese. The Embryo-sac 



and the Embryo of Aglaonema and Spathicarpa." Ibid.^ xvii. 

 665-687, 1903. 



(6) Campbell, D. H. — "Studies on the Aracere, III." Ibid.^ xix. 



329-349, 1905. 



(7) Gow, J. E. — " Morphology of ■S'/>aMjVfwa/a?//^/a." Bot. Gazette, 



xliii, 131-136, 1907. 



Note on Victoria regia, Lindl. 

 By John Arcangeli, 



Professor of Botany at Fisa, Italy} 



This plant, the most beautiful of all the species in the 

 Nymphaeaceae or water-lily family, has been recentl)' culti- 

 vated in the Botanic Garden of Pisa (Italy) with excellent 

 results and very little expense, using chiefly solar heat. The 

 germination of the seeds was carried out in a small tank of 

 zinc, with water, gently warmed from below by a petroleum 

 lamp. The sowing was made in the month of March or 

 April in small pots immersed in the water of the tank. When 

 the seedlings were sufficiently grown, with leaves 3-4 inches 

 in diameter, one or two seedlings were planted in the bottom 

 of a basin which was placed in a greenhouse without any 

 apparatus for artificial warming but with glazing turned 

 towards the south, and which was, during a large part of the 

 day, in direct sunshine. In these conditions the seedlings, 

 having been kept from the month of June at a temperature 

 from 25^ to 40° C, grew quite well and continued to vegetate 

 vigorously during the months of July, August, September, 

 and October. In the process of vegetation the plant developed 

 a dozen and more very fine flowers, of nearly 30 cm. in 

 diameter, which expanded successively at intervals of from 

 three to four days. The blade of the leaf is circular 

 in outline, in the seedlings 5-12 cm. wide and reaching at 

 maturity 1-170 m. in diameter. The lifetime of each flower 



^ Read before the Botanical S(3ciety of Edinburgh. 



