1020 



Nortli Devon," — G. Maw ; BarreWs-Hill House, Broseley, Salop, 

 July 21, 1853. 



The Phytological Club, 

 {In connexion with the Pharmaceutical Society). 



July 4, 1853. — Robert Benlley, Esq., F.L.S., &c., in the chair. 

 A donation of British plants, from Mr. Braithvvaite, was announced; 

 also a capsule of a species of Gossypium, from Mr. J. Fordham, jun. 



Udora Canadensis, 8fc. 



The President presented some specimens of the Udora Canadensis, 

 in flower, taken from the lake in the Royal Botanical Gardens, Re- 

 gent's Park. [After describing the extraordinary increase of this aqua- 

 tic, as already detailed in the ' Phytologist,' and in confirmation of 

 previous accounts,] Mr. Bentley stated that, about three years since, 

 a plant accidentally found its way into the lake in the Gardens of the 

 Royal Botanical Society. This had multiplied to such an extent, 

 that at the present time there was scarcely a portion of the lake to be 

 found which was not matted with it. As the female flowers were 

 alone known in this country, this increase is extraordinary, as it nuist 

 take place almost entirely by the formation of buds in the axils of the 

 leaves ; each being capable of forming an independent plant, when 

 separated fi-om its parent. Every fragment, therefore, into which the 

 plant might be readily divided was capable of developing a new one ; 

 so that, like that pest of the agriculturist, the common couch-grass, 

 the more it was disturbed, and cut up into pieces, the more rapidly did 

 it spread, as by such means the separated portions were only placed 

 in more favourable circumstances for their propagation ; and hence, 

 also, the difliculty, indeed almost impossibility, of eradicating it from 

 those places in which it had become established. Mr. Bentley, there- 

 fore, particularly cautioned botanists to be very careful not to intro- 

 duce it into any waters where its increase might be attended with 

 injurious results. 



Mr. Bentley also exhibited the following specimens : — 

 1. A leaf-bearing branch, and the fruit, of the Myrospermum of 

 Sonsonate. He stated that this plant had been fully described by 

 the late Dr. Pereira, in the ' Pharmaceutical Journal,' vol. x. p. 280, 

 as one of the sources of the common black balsam of Peru, the white 

 balsam, and balsamito. The specimens shown by Mr. Bentley were 

 VOL. Jv. 6 Q 



