807 



The paper by Mr. Mitten on the roots of Thesium linophylhun is 

 highly interesting. The author believes the roots of this and other 

 species of the same genus to be parasitically attached to the roots of 

 various other plants among which it grows. Should this view turn 

 out to be correct, we may look for parasitical attachments in the roots 

 of some other plants, whose roots form tubercles more or less re- 

 sembling those of the Thesium. We gain, too, by Mr. Mitten's dis- 

 covery, a collateral support to Dr. Lindley's position of the Santala- 

 ceaB (the natural order to which the Thesium belongs) in the same 

 alliance with Loranthaceae (the natural order which includes the Vis- 

 cum and other parasites). We shall copy a part of the paper, expla- 

 natory of Mr. Mitten's investigations, as a separate article. 



The paper by Dr. Dickie, on the Algae found at various altitudes 

 in the Highlands, is an useful commencement of its subject ; but the 

 facts can be received only as isolated facts at present ; the generali- 

 zation of them into a numerical table being surely too premature for 

 much reliance. The author finds 15 species at 3000 feet, 16 species 

 at 2000 feet, 37 species at 1000 feet, 68 species about Aberdeen (at 

 and near the sea-level) ; the whole number of British species in the 

 14 genera being 78. 



Of the other papers in these Nos. the interest can be deemed only 

 very partial ; that is to say, the papers may have interest respectively 

 for small sections of the botanical world, though none of them can be 

 deemed of general interest. For instance, fifty consecutive pages de- 

 voted to descriptions of Lichens from distant countries, will hardly 

 be cut open by one in ten of the subscribers to the Journal, although 

 novel contributions to science, and necessary records of its facts. 



C. 



" On the Economy of the Roots of Thesium linophylkfm.'" 

 " By William Mitten, Esq." 



(Extracted from the ' London Journal of Botany ' for March, 1847). 



" The remarkable nature of the root of Thesium linophyllum has 

 apparently hitherto altogether escaped attention. Indeed, from the 

 general appearance of the plant, there is nothing to excite suspicion ; 

 nor will there be any trace left of its parasitical attachment to the 

 roots of surrounding plants unless the roots are taken up with the 



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