64 



with or mistaken for the true pimpinelloides, by most other English 

 botanists, since the time of Hudson. Four of the specimens were se- 

 lected from the Society's herbarium, as showing variations from the 

 normal character of the root. Some of the tubers were branched ; 

 some approximated to those of Smith's " peucedanifolia," in being 

 thicker and shorter than ordinary. On one specimen, the external 

 fruits in the umbellules are very slightly contracted at their base ; the 

 ridges being confluent, and forming a ring, much like the callous base 

 of the fruit in the true pimpinelloides. The specimens were located 

 from salt ditches near Yarmouth. 



The Secretary called the attention of Members to a series of spe- 

 cimens of Dryas octopetala {Linn.), which had been sent to the Soci- 

 ety some years ago by Mr. Tatbam, from Arncliff Clouder, Yorkshire. 

 The sepals or lobes of the calyx varied considerably in length and 

 breadth ; on one specimen, the length was scarcely twice the breadth, 

 while in another, the length was four times the breadth. The con- 

 vexity of the base of the calyx also varied much. He reminded the 

 meeting that Mr. Babington had described a second species of Dryas 

 (D. depressa. Bah.), found in Ireland, and distinguished from the well 

 known D. octopetala, by exactly the same characters which these 

 specimens proved to be within the range of variation of the true D. 

 octopetala. He had not seen any example of the D. depressa de- 

 scribed in Babington's Manual, and could not speak with certainty 

 about its claims to be held a distinct species ; but the published cha- 

 racters by which it was attempted to be distinguished from the better 

 known species, were scarcely sufficient, with these examples before 

 the Society. When a series of specimens of D. octopetala are exa- 

 mined, it will be seen that the sepals are usually broader in those 

 which are more advanced in the fruiting stage, as compared with 

 others just opening into flower. Of the specimens before the Society, 

 the one having the broadest sepals was advanced in fruit. But it was 

 proper also to observe, that on this specimen a single sepal was longer 

 than the rest, and had apparently been white and petal-like at its ex- 

 tremity ; it might therefore be held an aberration, rather than a heal- 

 thy variation, from the normal form. — G. E. D. 



Erratum. — Phytol. i. 1079, line 15, for "but generally [separates] 

 ^rst from the base, meeting" &c., read "but generally, from the base, 

 Jirst meeting," &c. 



