983 



at Chelsea, where it soon became a most troublesome weed, and remains 

 so at the present day, coming up spontaneously, by thousands, in vari- 

 ous parts of the garden. Mr. Anderson gave specimens to the late Mr. 

 Pamplin, of Lavender Hill; and here, again, its usual propensity to 

 increase was strongly developed. During the present summer, it has 

 appeared on and near Clapham Common, and also at Peckham, 

 coming up spontaneously in Mr. Newman's garden. A remarkably 

 good figure, and a good account of the plant, are to be found in Bax- 

 ter's i British Flowering Plants,' vol. iv. p. 253. It affords, as pointed 

 out by Mr. Pamplin, aduiirable examples of two different forms of 

 leaves : spathulate, as in the radical leaves ; and perfoliate, as in the 

 stem-leaves. 



Botanical Society of Edinburgh. 



Thursday, April 14, 1853. — Professor Balfour, President, in the 

 chair. 



The following donations were announced to the Society's library 

 and herbarium : — 'Report of Select Committee on Morton's Memorial 

 to Congress, anent the Discovery of the Anaesthetic Properties of Sul- 

 phuric Ether,' from Dr. W. T. G. Morton ; a large parcel of rare Irish 

 plants, for the Society's herbarium, and for distribution, including 

 Trichomanes radicans, Hypericum anglicura, &c., from Mr. Sibbald ; 

 and specimens of Arundo stricta, from the shores of Lough Neagh, 

 Antrim, from Mr. C. C. Babington. 



Dr. Balfour laid upon the table a Prospectus of Dr. George John- 

 ston's * Natural History of the Eastern Borders.' 



Dr. Balfour mentioned that letters had been received from Mr. J. 

 A. Jeffrey, horticultural collector in Oregon, dated Oregon, January 

 22, 1853, and Columbia City, February 15, 1853, announcing the 

 despatch of two packages (Nos. 5 and 6) of Coniferae and other seeds, 

 from the Californian district, &c. Among them are seeds of Picea 

 nobilis and P. grandis, Abies Pattoniana, Pinus Lambertiana, P. mon- 

 ticola, P. ponderosa, P. raacrocarpa, several unnamed species of Pinus, 

 Cupressus, and Juniperus, besides many other trees, shrubs, and her- 

 baceous plants. 



Professor Balfour exhibited the following donations, made to the 

 Museum of Economic Botany at the Royal Botanic Garden since the 

 last meeting of the Society : — From Professor Fleming, New College, 

 Edinburgh : Specimen of a Lepidodendron, from Hailes Quarry, near 



