667 



vaceas. On the ground of this similar peculiarity, supported by 

 various analogies of structure and number of parts, Mr. Quekett 

 thinks that Malvaceae should be placed nearer to Geraniaceaj than 

 they are usually placed by systeraatists ; Balsaminaceae, Tropajo- 

 laceae, Oxalidaceae and Linaceae, showing no such arrangement 

 of crystals. But the fact of the regularity is, perhaps, more im- 

 portant than the infei'cnce connected with technical arrangements; 

 for we are afterwards informed by Mr. Quekett, that " the sepals of 

 the strawberry exhibit the clustered variety as seen in the Gerania- 

 ceae.'" The remarks on Cucurbitaceas bear chiefly on views of 

 structure as connected with technical classification, and appear 

 matters of intellectual curiosity, more than points of practical use- 

 fulness ; but they deserve the space allotted to them. Bouchardat's 

 conclusion, in antagonism with that of Saussure, is, "that a ve- 

 getable freely immersed by its roots, in a very dilute solution of 

 several salts, having no chemical action on its tissues, absorbs all 

 the substances contained in that solution in equal proportions." 



No. 118. Contents : " On the growth of Cell-membrane," by Hugo 

 Von Mohl (translated from the Botanische Zeitung). " Proceedings 

 of the Linnean Society." 



C. 



Notice of a Monstrosity in the Flowers of the common Sweet William 

 (Dianthus barbatus), found at Ross, June 27, 1846. By Wm. 

 H. PuRCHAS, Esq. 



In this curious state of the plant each branch of the fascicle, the 

 ultimate ones excepted, produced a flower, of which the calyx was 

 unusually large, yet having no more than the usual number of teeth, 

 the petals unusually numerous, and the stamens wholly wanting. 



In the centre of the flower was one large ovary, closed at the top, 

 and containing, besides imperfect ovules, a second ovary, and this, 

 again, enclosing a third and very imperfect one. Surrounding this 

 large ovary were five more or less imperfect flowers, all destitute of 

 calyx, and having their pedicels inserted in a fleshy ring. Of some 

 the ovaries contained ovules, of others, a succession of carpel-like 

 leaves. Although there were no stamens in the main flower, a few 

 were intermixed with the petals of the smaller ones. 



A somewhat similar monstrosity occurred at the same time in a 



