810 Miscellaneous. 



disfigures the leaves, but makes the flowers droop and turn brown 

 before they are well expanded — or to suggest any remedy. The only 

 parties capable of doing so are those who can watch its growth ; and 

 when once the real nature of the substance is ascertained, their obser- 

 vations, if made with care and tolerable acuteness, will be worth a 

 thousand times more than any speculations in the closet. It is a 

 cheering fact that the cultivator's eye is turned to every anomalous 

 appearance, because it shows an increase of intelligence, and the very 

 act of inquiry and expectation of a reply keeps the faculties on the 

 alert, and stimulates to further observation. We would, however, 

 strongly urge the wisdom of not leaning entirely upon others, but 

 trusting a little as well to native powers of observation. It is well to 

 know whether any anomalous appearance is due to a fungus or insect, 

 or whether it is some diseased affection produced by outward con- 

 ditions, or by innate constitutional weakness. But these points 

 being ascertained, it is to the first observer of the affection that we 

 may justly look for available information. 



The species being undescribed may be characterized as follows : 

 Sphceronema deformans ; parasitic on living leaves ; perithecia oblong, 

 growing several together from a pallid pustule, which is rough with 

 the free ostioles ; spores minute subelliptic. — M. J. B. — Gardeners' 

 Chronicle, Sept. 7, 1850. 



On the Names of the Victoria Water Lily. By J. De C. Sowerby, 

 F.L.S., Secretary to the Royal Botanic Society. 



The observations of Mr. Gray, in the last number of the ' Annals,' 

 p. 146, seem to call for the following remarks. 



From the various printed accounts of this splendid plant, the six 

 names below may be collected : — 



Euryale Amazonica, Poeppig, 1832. 



Nymphcea Victoria, Schomburgk, 1837- 



Victoria Regina, Gray, 1837. 



Victoria Regalis, ib. ?, 1837. 



Victoria Regia, Lindley, 1837, Hooker, 1846. 



Victoria Cruziana, D'Orbigny, 1840. 



It is clear that the oldest of these names is Euryale Amazonica 

 (and unless it be thought proper to accept the provincial names, one 

 of them must be employed) ; now therefore that it is found that the 

 plant does not belong to the genus Euryale, and that it forms the 

 type of a new genus, the specific name Amazonica ought to be re- 

 tained, or rather, it ought never to have been altered. As for the 

 "permission of Her Majesty," our loyalty need not to be alarmed, 

 for it appears most probable that the "permission" only applied to 

 the name Victoria along with the generic name Nymphcea in Sir 

 R. Schomburgk' s letter before it was revised, Regina being an after- 

 thought. Her Majesty will not be offended by that name being 

 adopted which is most in accordance with accepted rules. I would 

 therefore call it Victoria Amazonica. The Victoria Cruziana of 

 D'Orbigny is supposed to be only a variety. 



