56 TRANSACTIONS OF THE [Sess. lxxvj. 



the fruit of his plant, and finding it resembles that of 

 A. xylocarpa, places it — that is, A. cibaria or stereophylla 

 ■ — near that species, instead of next to A. acuminata, of 

 which Bentham thought it might prove to be a marked 

 variety. The fruit of our specimen, however, confirms the 

 close affinity between A. stereophylla and A. acuminata, 

 as pointed out by Bentham. There are several varieties of 

 A. acuminata met with in the inland districts, but their 

 pods have not been described ; it is probable they may 

 with A. stereophylla form a group showing affinity in all 

 details with the typical A. acuminata. 



Note on Victoria regia, Lindl. By Professor 

 Giovanni Arcangeli. 



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

 Nymphseacese or water-lily family, has been recently 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 

 jilanted 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 1-1 "70 m. in diameter. The lifetime of each 



