xii Proceedings of Lice BoLaniccd Society 



where it gerniinated three years ago between the fronds 2 feet from 

 the ground. The seedling was transferred to a pot, and is now in a 

 greenhouse. It has not flowered, but is a robust plant 8^ feet high. 

 This is a remarkable illustration of the spontaneous introduction of 

 an exotic. 



IV. Befort on Temperatures and on the Progress of O'pen- 

 Air Vegetation at the Royal Botanic Garden for March. 

 By Mr John Sadler, Curator. 



MISCELLANEOUS COMMUNICATIONS. 



1. The Past Winter in Arran. — In the light of the frequent 

 advocacy of our western coasts as suitable localities for the extensive 

 growth of Australasian trees and shrubs, the following observa- 

 tions, communicated by the Rev. D. Landsborough, of Kilmarnock, 

 may not be uninteresting : — Arran, it is well known, is not subject 

 to the extreme falls of temperature so deadly to plant life on our 

 eastern coasts. Accordingly, Australian and JS"ew Zealand genera 

 supposed to be aliens to our usual British climate, grow freely in it. 

 Mr Landsborough reported, regarding plants grown in the Cromla 

 garden, near Corrie, one of the Blue Gums — the most hardy of 

 which in Arran is the Eucalyptus x>endula — hardly touched last 

 winter, is sadly injured by this Two other kinds of gum-tree, 

 raised from seed obtained from the Blue Mountains, New South 

 Wales, have been planted. The very beautiful New Zealand fern, 

 Todea liymenophylloides, has proved quite hardy, though not under 

 the spray of a waterfall, as was thought necessary for the full 

 development of Todea superha. The Todea hymenophyUoides was 

 planted only last summer, but grew at once, and the fronds of the 

 mature plant promise to attain perhaps to the size of Athyrhn Filix- 

 fmmina. The fronds now are almost as green as during summer. 

 The cordyliues, C. indivsa, C. an sir alls, and C. Veitchii, are all 

 untouched by the frost ; so, too, are Photinia serndata, Desfon- 

 tainea sjMuosa, Edwardsia grandijiora, Elceagnus japonica variegata. 

 A fine plant of the old single red camellia planted last year Avas also 

 untouched, and was in flower all last month (twenty-five blooms), 

 the flowers in perfect order. A cork tree — Quercus suher — and a 

 plant which Mr Landsborough takes to be Cunninghamia sinensis, 

 both growing for the last twenty years at Brodick Castle, are both 

 uninjiu'ed by this winter's frost. 



