Litmcean Society. 235 



list of light farinaceous articles of food in use among the delicate or 

 convalescent. 



Specimens of the grass accompanied Mr. Clarke's communication, 

 and were examined by Mr. Kippist, Libr. L.S., who added some ob- 

 servations on its botanical characters. 



It is a slender grass with digitate spikes, which has much of the 

 habit of Digitaria, but which, on account of the absence of the small 

 outer glume existing in that genus, must be referred to Paspalum. 

 Mr. Kippist regards it as an undescribed species, although speci- 

 mens collected at Sierra Leone by Afzelius are in the collections of 

 Sir James E. Smith and Sir Joseph Banks, on the former of which 

 Afzelius has noted that it is much cultivated by the negroes in Sierra 

 Leone. 



Mr. Kippist distinguishes the species by the following characters: — 

 Paspalum exile, glaberrimum, caule filifonni, racemis subtcrnis digitalis, 

 axi partial! spiculis singulis angustiore, spicuHs parvis sub-biseriahbus 

 pedicellatis, gUuiiis ovatis acutiuscuHs paleis sequalibus, foliis Hneari- 

 lanceolatis margine serrulatis. 

 Gramen sub-bipedale, inferne ramosum ; racemi tenues, 3 — 4-pollicares, 

 subsessiles ; axes partiales angustissimse, plaiiEe, niavgine minute den- 

 ticulate; spiculEe vix liueales ; ghnnae exterioi-is respectu racheos, (val- 

 vulae floris masculi superstitis) nervi 7 — 9 sequidistantes, interioris .5, 

 quorum laterales approximati ; paleae minutissime striata; ; folia plana ; 

 vaginae longissinife ; ligulae truncatse integrse. 

 Read also a letter from N. B. Ward, Esq., F.L.S., containing a 

 statement furnished to him by Mrs. Williams, the widow of the late 

 missionary of that name, respecting the transportation of the M^isa 

 Cavendishii to the Navigators' Islands, and its culture there. Mr. 

 Williams left England on the 11th of April 1839, and arrived at 

 Upolu, one of the Navigators' Islands, at the end of November. He 

 carried with him, in one of Mr. Ward's glazed cases, a young plant 

 of Musa Cavendishii, which bore the voyage well. It was trans- 

 planted into a favourable situation, and in May 1 840 a cluster of 

 fine fruit (in number exceeding 300) was produced ; after which the 

 parent plant died, leaving behind more than thirty suckers, which 

 were distributed to various parts of the island. In May 1841, when 

 Mrs. Williams left to return to England, the greater part of these 

 were in a fructifying state, so that there cannot be a doubt of this 

 valuable plant quickly becoming abundant, not only in Upolu, but 

 also in the neighbouring islands. Mrs. Williams further states that 

 the fruit is highly prized by the natives as being much finer and very 

 different in flavour from any of the species or varieties previously 

 growing in these islands. 



November 15. — E. Forster, Esq., V.P., in the Chair. 

 Read a Note " On the permanent varieties of Papaver orientale, 

 L." By T. Forster, M.B., F.L.S., &c. 



Dr. Forster states, that ever since the introduction oi Papaver brac- 

 teatum, Lindl., into England, he has regarded it as a permanent va- 

 riety of P. orientale, of which P. bracteatum, as having fertile seeds, 

 while those of P. orientale are usually stei'ile, was to be considered 

 the original plant. He retains, however, the name of orientale for 



