943 



give some further particulars respecting the Suffolk station of O. hir- 

 cina which I had the good fortune to discover in July, 1847. I found 

 but one specimen. The principal doubts which may arise are, — 

 whether the plant was the true O. hircina ; whether it grew in the lo- 

 cality given; and whether it was introduced. There can be no doubt 

 that the plant was the true one, as it agrees with Smith's description 

 in the 'English Flora,' and with a specimen in the Cambridge Bota- 

 nical Museum ; and indeed it is so different from any other English 

 plant, that it is surprizing that any other could be mistaken for it. I 

 showed it while growing and after it was gathered to several friends, 

 and we all agreed, with Sir J. Smith, that the scent was " not plea- 

 sant," but very peculiar. There can be no doubt on the second head, 

 because I found it myself, quite by accident. I can suggest no means 

 Jay which it could have been introduced, at least from any great dis- 

 tance, and have no reason to doubt that it is a native. Perhaps it 

 may be as well to mention that the meadow was laid down about fifty 

 years ago, with seed brought from a village called Dennington, about 

 six miles distant. 



E. N. Bloomfield. 

 Clare Hall, Cambridge. 



Note on the Ovule of Orchis Morio. 

 By W. Wilson, Esq. 



Having had my attention directed to this subject by the notice of 

 Mr. Henfrey's paper in the ' Phytologist ' for March last, I have care- 

 fully and minutely examined numerous ovules, in various stages of 

 growth, with the following results. 



When the ovule becomes completely anatropous, it is somewhat 

 less than ^-§^th of an inch in length, the primine being then shorter 

 than the secundine, though it afterwards far exceeds it in length. 

 Soon after fecundation, the ovary having swelled, the pollen-tubes 

 are found in very great abundance, passing down under the placentae, 

 in six dense fasciculi, to the base of the ovary. When these hori- 

 zontal sections of the ovary are placed under the microscope, the 

 masses of pollen-tubes are seen to fill up the channels formed by the 

 incurved edges of the carpellary leaves. The diameter of the pollen- 

 tube is somewhat more than yoWl-h °f an inch. By careful dissec- 

 tion of the ovule the pollen-tube can be satisfactorily traced into the 



