23G Botanical Society of Edinburgh. 



prcssae (alis tertia parte longioris) petala oblonga, basi auriculata, 

 dorso connata. Stamina 10, libera, vel ima basi cohserentia, inaequi- 

 longa, persistentia. Ovarium villosissimum, substipitatum, stipitulo 

 basi vaginula cincto, pauci- (4 — 6) ovulatum, suturis non inflexis. 

 Stylus filiformis, clongatus, apice incurvus, glaber. Stigma parvum. 



Legumen — Suffrutex Novas Hollandise Auslro-Occidentalis, 



Brachysemati, R. Br. proximus; ramis erectis vel adscendentibus ; folds 

 opposilis, oblongo-ovatis, emarginatis, mucronatis, utrinque reticulata, 

 margins revolutis, subundulatis, minute denticulatis ; stipulis lanceolato- 

 subulalis, demum deciduis ; floribus scssilibus, congestis in capitula cer- 

 niia, 4Jtora, bracteis 4 ovatis decussatis, coriaceis, fuscis, extiis sericeis 

 suffulta, ramulos breves axil/ares terminantia. 



JANSONIA FORMOSA. 



Hab. in Novas Hollandiae Ora Austro- Occidental^ ad " Scott's River " 

 (1842), Gilbert (v. s.). 



Obs. Specimen habitu debiliore, et folds ramulisque pubescentibus paulo 

 diversum a D. Jac. Drummond ad " Swan River " Iectum {v. s. in Herb. 

 D. Lemann). 



The nearest affinity of Jansonia is with Brachysema, R. Br., with 

 which genus Mr. Kippist states that it agrees in its unguiculate 

 petals, in the form and unusual length of the keel, in the extreme 

 shortness of the standard, in its elongated filiform style, and in its 

 shortly stalked villous germen, surrounded at the base by a minute 

 fleshy ring ; but it is abundantly distinguished by its capitate inflo- 

 rescence, by the remarkable inequality of its calycine segments, by 

 the much greater length of the claws of its petals, and by the pau- 

 city of its ovules, which do not appear to exceed six in number. 

 Mr. Kippist also compares it with Leptosema, Benth., which is clearly 

 distinguished by its bibracteolate calyx, composed of two nearly equal 

 lips, the uppermost of which is very slightly bifid ; its scarcely un- 

 guiculate vexillum ; its wings about equal in length to the keel ; the 

 distinct inflexion of its carinal suture ; as well as by its inflorescence, 

 that of Leptosema being a densely crowded raceme, while in Jansonia 

 the flowers are perfectly sessile and arranged in a verticillate manner 

 round a common axis, which is slightly prolonged beyond the point 

 from whence the flowers spring in the form of a short mucro. 



The genus is dedicated to the memory of the late Joseph Janson, 

 Esq., F.L.S. ; and the paper was accompanied with a drawing of the 

 plant, comprising details of its parts of fructification. 



BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH. 



Dec. 9, 1847. — The Rev. Dr. Fleming, President, in the Chair. 



The following communications were read : — 



1. " On Anacharis Alsinastrum, a new British plant," by Chas. C. 

 Babington, Esq., with a synopsis of the other species of the genus, 

 by Dr. J. E. Planchon. See Annals, present volume, p. 81. 



2. " On the Reproduction of Cryptogamic Plants," by the late 

 William Stark Dougall, Esq., communicated by Dr. Balfour. 



The first part of this paper was read — viz. On the mode of forma- 

 tion of spores in Alga and Characece. 



