223 



Notice of the Annals and Magazine of Natural History, No. 100, 



June, 1845. 



This number contains three botanical papers. 



' A Century of new Genera and species of Orchidaceous Plants, 

 characterized by Professor Lindley.' 



' On a monstrosity of Gentiana campestris. By G. Dickie, M.D., 

 Lecturer on Botany in the University and King's College of Aber- 

 deen.' 



' On the British Desmidieae. By John Ralfs, Esq., M.R.C.S., 

 Penzance.' 



Dr. Dickie's paper describes certain malformations in the flowers 

 of Gentiana campestris, which occurred growing in almost pure sand 

 near the sea at Aberdeen. The calyx presented the usual number 

 and arrangement of parts ; the corolla was mostly natural, but some- 

 times 5-cleft ; stamens four, sometimes mare, in most cases partially 

 or entirely petaloid ; these three whorls, sepals, petals and stamens, 

 presenting the usual relation to each other. The greatest deviation 

 from the natural structure occurred in the pistil, which, in many in- 

 stances, was represented by flower-buds, extending, in one instance, 

 to eight, in another to six, five of them forming a whorl round a cen- 

 tral bud ; and sometimes ovaries, nearly natural, were intermixed with 

 flower-buds. 



Dr. Dickie gives a table showing the number of divisions of corolla, 

 number of stamens and number of flower-buds representing the pistil, 

 as they occurred in ten specimens. The ninth of these contained 

 six flower-buds, five forming a regular whorl, and the sixth occupy- 

 ing the centre of each. Of these buds he gives a detailed description 

 as under : 



No. 1. Calyx none; corolla of ten petals ; stamens ten, alternate 

 with the petals ; the place of the ovary was occupied by two flower- 

 buds, each with single perianth, imperfect stamens and one ovary in each. 



No. 2. Sepals five ; petals eight ; stamens ten, in two whorls ; ova- 

 ries two, almost natural. 



No. 3. Sepals three ; petals three ; stamens three, alternate with 

 the petals ; ovary of three carpellary leaves with six rows of ovules. 



No. 4. Sepals five, an ovary adhering to the outside of one ; petals 

 five ; stamens five, alternate with the petals ; ovary of five carpellary 

 leaves, with ten rows of ovules. 



No. 5. Sepals three ; corollas two, each of three petals ; stamens 

 three ; ovary single. 



