REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON PLANTS AND FLOWERS. 27 



white, aromatic flowers. Mr. Davenport has shown many other 

 well known varieties, all named, and adding to the interest of the 

 exhibitions. 



E. H. Hitchings exhibited a very fine specimen of Hottonia 

 inflata (Water Violet) ; a single flower of Lilium Canadense having 

 five petals of pure yellow without spots ; Hdbenaria ciliaris, (Yellow 

 Fringed Orchis) , ' ' our handsomest species ; " Sagittaria gracilis 

 (Pursh), Eupatorium teiicrifolium, and other rare species. Mr. 

 Hitchings has not exhibited in as large quantities as in previous 

 seasons, but what has been lacking in quantity has been fully 

 made up in quality ; his exhibits have been only of the rarest and 

 choicest varieties. 



Mrs. C. N. S. Horner, as in previous seasons, has faithfully per- 

 formed her i^art in making this department of the exhibitions success- 

 ful, having taken the first premium at most of the exhibitions of 

 native flowers. 



We have also been permitted to welcome to this department 

 Byron D. Halsted, of the Bussey Institute, whose exhibits have 

 been very interesting and instructive. They commenced on the 

 9th of June, with twelve species of Fungi, growing upon wild 

 plants, the plants and the fungi growing upon them being all care- 

 fully named. At the Rose Show Mr. Halsted presented twenty- 

 five genera of Lichens in fifty species ; and at the Strawberry Show, 

 twenty genera of Grasses in thirty -two species ; two genera in four 

 species of Juncacece; eighteen Sedges, including seventeen species 

 of Carex, and Eleocharis obtusa; also twenty- three genera of Fungi 

 in forty species. 



On the 11th of August, Mr. Halsted presented sixty-five species 

 of "Wild Plants in Fruit," ranging from trees like the oak and 

 hickory down to grasses, iand herbs of even smaller growth. It 

 will be seen that the term fruit is here used in its broad botanical 

 sense, including all ripened pistils and their contents, whatever 

 their form or texture, and not, as the word is popularly employed, 

 to designate only those that are edible. 



Of the Fleshy fruits, the Berry was represented by Solanum 

 Dulcamara (Bittersweet) , three species of Vaccinium (Blueberries 

 and Cranberry) , Actcea alba (Baneberry) , Cornus Canadensis, etc. 

 The Drupe or Stone fruit by Prunus Virginiana and P. Pennsylvan- 

 ica (Choke and Wild Red Cherries) , Bhamnus catharticus (Buck- 

 thorn) , Ilex verticillata (Black Alder) , and some Viburnums, in- 



