340 Botanical Society of Edinburgh. 



BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH. 



February 9, 1854. — Professor Balfour, President, in the Chair. 



The following papers were read : — 



1 . " On the occurrence of Anacharis Alsinastrum in Ireland," by 

 G. Dickie, M.D. The author remarks that they have probably the 

 earliest record of the presence of the Anacharis in the United King- 

 dom, for Mr. John New, a gardener, informs him that "about eighteen 

 years ago, the pond at "Waringstown was cleared of overhanging trees, 

 when the Anacharis was immediately observed, after the planting of 

 some aquatics, making it necessary several times during the summer 

 to clear it out. It is not known whether it existed in the pond pre- 

 viously to the above date, or was introduced with the aquatics at that 

 time. For many years its name was not known to any person in the 

 neighbourhood.' ' 



2. "Notes of a Botanical Trip to the Tents Muir, in the north of 

 Fife, in July last," by Mr. G. Lawson. The object of these notes 

 was to call attention to a rich locality, which, although within easy 

 reach, had not hitherto been much examined by Edinburgh botanists. 

 It is an extensive tract, chiefly of sand dunes, extending along the 

 coast from Ferry-Port-on-Craig to the river Eden. The following 

 were among the plants noticed : Anagallis tenella, Lycopodium inunda- 

 tum, Littorella lacustris, Teesdalia nudicaulis, Radiola Millegrana, 

 Sisymbrium Sophia, Fumaria micrantha, Senecio viscosus, Juncus 

 balticus, Papaver Aryenione, Chrysanthemum segetum, Veronica Ana- 

 gallis and scutellata, Peplis Portula, Malva sylvestris, Myosotis col- 

 Una, Bryum warneum (Mr. Ogilvie), Weissia nigrita, Didymodon 

 inclination, Stereocaulon tomentosum. The pools and moist hollows 

 on the Muir were rich in freshwater Algae, including Nostochineae and 

 Desmidiese. The party did not find Isnardia palustris, and fancied 

 that the abundance and luxuriance oi Peplis Porttda might have led to 

 some mistake. The Peplis aiforded a retreat for myriads of Hydra 

 viridis. 



3. "Notice of Localities for Rare Plants in the neighbourhood of 

 Edinburgh," by Mr. G. R. Tate. The following were among the 

 plants noticed : — 



Alyssum calycinum. On debris below the Queen's drive, near 

 Duddingston. " I noticed the plant in this locality in the month of 

 May before it was in flower ; at that time there were a number of 

 specimens. As the season advanced and the locality became more 

 generally known, nearly the whole were eradicated. It is hardly 

 possible that the Alyssum could have escaped the notice of the nume- 

 rous botanists visiting Arthur's Seat and its neighbourhood, had it 

 existed in this locality for any length of time. The probability is, 

 that it had been introduced by seed sown, at no very distant date, by 

 some one anxious to add a species to a flora already overstocked with 

 doubtful natives. I obtained this plant at Burntisland, in very small 

 quantity." 



