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Botanical News. — Italy. 



. Florence, April 24. — The reports and documents relating to the 

 Horticultural Exhibition that took place in Florence, in September 

 last (see Bonpl. vol. i. p. 43), have been published ; also a Prospectus 

 of the Horticultural Society which those who got up the exhibition 

 hope to be able to form. The seat of the Society is to be in Florence ; 

 and to become a member it is necessary to take one share or more, 

 of three francesconi (13.9. i.d.) a year each, and, moreover, to pay an 

 entrance-fee of one francesconi. Two hundred shares have already 

 been disposed of. 



We have received two new memoirs by M. Gasparrini, published in 

 the ' Transactions of the Academy of Naples.' The one is a ' Revisio 

 Generis Trigonellae.' The author raises the sections established by 

 Seringe, in De Candolle's ' Prodromus,' to the rank of genera, under 

 the names of Grammocarpus, Ser., Xiphostylis (Foenum graecum, 

 Tourn.), Falcatula, Brot. ; the name of Trigonella being retained 

 for the section Buceras, Ser. The other memoir contains now obser- 

 vations on the fecundation and embryo of Cytinus Hypocistis, — a 

 subject investigated by the author eight years ago, and concerning 

 which he now expresses an opinion decidedly opposed to Schleiden's 

 theory on fecundation. According to him, the embryo of this plant 

 is not derived from the transformation of the extremity of the pollen- 

 tube, but, on the contrary, from one or more vesicle of the summit of 

 the internal nucleus (or sac of the embryo), which are developed before 

 fecundation. Prof. Tenore has written a dissertation on some trees 

 mentioned by the writers of the middle ages, such as the Arbor vitae 

 {Thuya orientoUs), the balsam-tree {Amyris Opohalmmum), the dry- 

 tree {Platanus orientalis), the tree of the sun and the moon {Cupressus 

 sempervirens), &c. Prof. Massalongo, of Verona, has published an 

 enumeration of the miocene fossil plants hitherto known in Italy ; 

 they are sixty-two in number. According to the author, the number 

 of species belonging to the Italian fossil Flora amounts to nearly 1000. 

 Mr. Webb returned from Rome to Florence a few days ago. Prof. 

 Joseph Bertoloni was also on a visit here a short time ago, for the 

 purpose of studying the plants sent him from the coast of Mozam- 

 bique, especially those distinguished by useful or otherwise remark- 

 able properties. — Bonplandia. 



