1077 



variously described by authors, as chocolate-coloured, liver-coloured, 

 and chestnut-coloured ; while the roughness of the surface is spoken 

 of as resembling shagreen. There is another species of EJymenaea in 

 which the external surface of the pericarp is studded with larger 

 tubercles, whence it is named the Hymenaea verrucosa. In Nees von 

 Esenbeck's large work, ' Icones Plantarura Medicinalium,' the figure 

 of the pod of the Hymenaea Courbaril exhibits veins on the surface. 

 In our specimen, there is no appearance of anything of the kind. If 

 such an appearance occur, it must be in the young pod. 



" Gaertner says the seeds are from four to eight. It is a singular 

 circumstance, that many of the earlier authors state that the number 

 of the seeds is three. At first, I imagined that this idea had arisen 

 fi'om the figure of a large, broad pod, with three seeds, in Plunder's 

 * Description des Plantes de TAmerique,' being mistaken for his figure 

 of the pod of the Hymenaea, which occurs in a different work, his 

 ' Nova Plantarum Americanarum Genera ;' but I find that both Piso 

 and Ray, whose works were published long before either of Plumier's, 

 insist on three seeds, or three stones. In the pod before us, there are 

 four prominent marks of seeds, and several other less prominent ele- 

 vations, which seem to be the marks of seeds also. If there be really 

 a tendency to no more than three seeds in so large a seed-vessel, it 

 will prove additional evidence of the disposition to a transition from 

 the legumen to the drupe, which this legumen so much resembles in 

 its hardness. 



" The seeds are truly called little bones. The black exterior, how- 

 ever, readily scales off in water, and the interior softens. If a speci- 

 men of the resina animes fall within the plan of the Museum, I will 

 be glad to present one. Meantime, specimens may be seen in the 

 Museum of the College of Physicians ; viz., Nos. 1203, 1204, and 

 1205." 



Rarer Plants of the Neighbourhood ofRipon. 



A paper by Mr. James B. Davies, ' On the Rarer Plants found in 

 the Neighbourhood of Ripon,' was read. 



After giving a general account of the geological features of the dis- 

 trict, illustrated by a map, Mr. Davies noticed the plants of interest. 

 These were, Scolopendrium vulgare, Bryonia dioica, Tamus commu- 

 nis, Colchicum autumnale, Littorella lacustris, Pilularia globulifera, 

 Radiola Millegrana, Listera cordata, Lathraea squamaria, Convallaria 

 multiflora, Paris quadrifolia, Melica nutans, Gagea lutea, Chlora per- 

 foliata, Gentiana Amarella, Anchusa sempervirens, Ribes alpinum, 

 VOL. IV. ' 6 Y 



