134 



THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. 



[Mar. 2, 



presented by Mr. S. P. Woodward. Specimens of Carex 

 paradoxa(\Villd.), Borkhausia setosa (D. C), Spiranthis 

 gemrnipara, Convallaria bifolia, Statice rariflora, and other 

 faluable plants, had been received. Mr. Edwin Lees had 

 presented a collection of British Rubi, comprising nearly 

 all the species. Numerous interesting Irish plants had 

 been received from Mr. Andrews, including many dupli- 

 cates of Trichomanes speciosum. The plants sent to mem- 

 bers in return for their contributions had given much satis- 

 faction, and in nearly every instance the Committee were 

 enabled to send the return parcil within a fortnight after 

 the receipt of the contributors* own parcel. Since the 

 printing of the catalogue of British plants, now used by 

 the members in marking their desiderata, several new 

 species have been added to the Flora of this country, 

 •which of course do not appear in the catalogue. As far 

 as these novelties can be obtained, the Committee will 

 distribute them through the parcels sent out to contri- 

 butors, together with any other specimens which may 

 afford the opportunity for correcting errors of nomen- 

 clature, or in any way elucidating the Botany of Britain. 

 For the common benefit of members it is particularly re- J 

 quested that contributors will send as many duplicates as 

 they can of all such novelties. Among the specimens 

 now ready for distribution are the following : — A few 

 specimens of Statice rariflora, obtained through the kind- 

 ness of Mr. Notcutt ; an ample supply of the true Crepis 

 biennis, presented by the Rev. A. Bloxam ; the true 

 Primula elatior (Jacq.), received from Mr. E. Doubleday, 

 together with the varieties of P. vulgaris, which are often 

 mistaken fur the former. The true Eriophorum gracile 

 (Koch.) known to very few English botanists before the 

 summer of 18 12 ; Linaiia spartea, naturalised at Walton 

 in Surrey ; Bromns commutatus (Schrader), so very fre- 

 quently misnamed B. arvensis (Lerou); varieties of 

 Betula alba, which are described as species by several 

 botanical authorities ; Festuca loliacea passing into 

 F. pratensis. The original labels are carefully pre- 

 served, and those which are not required for introduction 

 into the reference Herbarium, along with the specimens 

 irill be fastened into a book, as a permanent record of 

 localities. Dr. Ay res has sent a portion of the Floia 

 of Thame, Oxfordshire, and engaged to complete it ; and 

 a full set of the flowering plants of Esher, in Surrey, has 

 been collected, and will be sent to the Society as soon as 

 they can be glued down in the manner prescribed by the 

 committee. Other members are collecting the Herbaria 

 of their respective districts, and the committee hope next 

 year to report the addition of several Local Herbaria. 

 The Foreign Plants received far exceeds that of any 

 former year. The Horticultural Society of Cornwall had 

 lent a very large collection of East Indian plants, com- 

 prising specimens collected at Madras by Dr. Wight, and 

 at Assam by Major Jenkins. A very large collection of 

 North American plants had been received from Dr. Gavin 

 Watson and Mr. R. Kelvington, and Mr. E. Doubleday 

 had presented 300 species from Ohio. A collection of 

 Specimens from Western Australia had been presented by 

 Mr. Turner, and Mr. Gerard h id sent valuable plants col- 

 lected at Sierra Le one. British Ferns have been received 

 from various members, and in every instance where speci- 

 menshave been received from localities not hitherto recorded 

 in the collection, the most characteristic have been selected, 

 and introduced in accordance with the principle laid down 

 by the committee, of extending the series to every locality 

 that can be obtained for the rr.re species, and every county 

 or district for the more abundant. It has also been made 

 an object to ascertain the geological range of each, as well 

 as its geographical distribution. The abundant supply of 

 Lastrsea cristata, Asplenium lanceolatum, Adiantura capil- 

 I us, Veneris, and Trichomanes speciosum, has enabled 

 the committee to distribute them to all who applied for 

 specimens. The following Mosses, new to the Bri- 

 tish Flora, have been presented by Dr. Thomas Taylor. 

 Trichostomum saxatile (Taylor, M.S.), and Bryum recur- 

 fifolium (Taylor, M.S.), and the following new species of 

 Hepaticae, Jungermanniareclusa,fragilifc;ra, germana, and 

 riparia together with authentic specimens of the new 

 Dicranurn scoparium, and Dicranum Dillenii. Mr. G. 

 H. K. Thwaitcs has sent a large collection of .Mosses, 

 chiefly collected by him in the neighbourhood cf Bristol, 

 including many new species. Dr. Ayres has forwarded 

 ■pecimens of Hysterium rubrum and Peziza caulicola, 

 discovered by him in Oxfordshire. In concludin 

 their Report the committee called upon the members for 

 renewed exertions to make the collection forming by the 

 Society as complete as possible, and to render their 

 Herbarium a permanent standard for the determination 

 of plants ; and members and contributors are particularly 

 requested to send monstrosities and any specimens differ- 

 ing from the common form. The reports of the council 

 and Herbarium committee were unanimously adopted ; a 

 ballot then took place for the council for the ensuing year, 

 Tvhen J. E. Gray, Esq., was re-elected president. John 

 Miers, Esq., J. F. Young, M.D., and A. Henfrey, Esq., 

 were elected new members of the council in the room of 

 G. Francis, Esq., H. A. Meeson, MD., and Adam White, 

 Esq., who retire. Messrs. Reynolds, Dennes, and 

 Sansom, were respectively re-elected Treasurer, Secretary, 

 and Librarian. 



Dec. 13. — The president nominated Hewett C.Watson, 

 Esq., and John Miers, Esq., vice-presidents. 



I Schmitz in the " Linnsea," and of Harting in the ] leaved Epidendrums rand Oncidiums. .Near the same locality 

 « Tydschrift voor Xatuurrlyke Geschiedenis en Physiolo- f<,und Berbcris "™"f<' l >"> f ™B » ■*■* 10 to 12 feet hieh. .„ 

 gie," as contributions to the same subject. Schmitz's 



paper was on the growth of Fungi, and Harting on the 

 influence of external agents on the growth of plants, such 

 as the time of the day and of the year, the degree of warmth, 

 the dampness and dryness of the atmosphere, and the in- 

 fluence of a quiet or ruffled atmosphere. The author has 

 repeated most of the experiments of Mr. Harting, and in 

 this paper makes remarks upon them in detail, and con- 

 firms their general results. He thinks that Harting has 

 not duly estimated the influence of light on the growth of 

 the various parts of plants. He had found, as the result 

 of his own experiments, that a diminution of light had 

 increased the growth of the intemodes, as well as of the 

 stem generally, whilst it greatly prejudiced the growth of 



the leaves. 



In the author's previous papers he had given the results 

 of experiments performed in his own room, where conse- 

 quently the plants were exposed to little climatic change ; 

 but in the experiments detailed in this paper they were 

 performed in the open air. The experiments are divided 

 into two series; the first for the purpose of ascertaining 

 the law of the growth of the intemodes, the second for 

 obtaining the same law in relation to the leaves of dicoty- 

 ledonous plants. In order to ascertain the growth of the 

 intemodes, an intemode was divided into equal parts, and 

 measured at certain intervals. The plants thus experi- 

 mented on were, the Acer pseudo-platanus, the Vitis vini- 

 fera, and Sambucus nigra. The following is an example 

 of these tables. The plant was Vitis vinifera, and the 

 intemode was the fifth on a branch of that year's growth, 

 a is the basis of the intemode, e its upper part. 



Day. 



Weather. 



Temperature. 

 Reaumur. 



a. b. 



j 



b. c. 



C.d. 



d. e. 



June 13 

 June 15 

 June 16 

 June 17 , 



R-.iin. 

 Bright. 



Bright. 

 Bright. J 



U-0 

 150 



i;o 



ISO 



6 <r 



8 



9 5 

 U 



6 o"l 6 o" 

 9 9 5 



10 10 5 



12 5 illTJ 



6o'" 



8 5 

 10 

 12 5 



Xctfefei, 



Upon the Growth of Plants. By Julius Munter. 



(Botanische Zeitung, 18-14.) 



The Author of this paper has previously made commu- 

 nications to the "Botanifiche Zeitung," oq the growth of 

 the various parts of plants, and refers to the papers of 



From experiments thus performed, he comes to the con- 

 clusion that the extension of the intemodes goes on at 

 first in all parts, and first ceases at the base, whilst the 

 upper parts still go on lengthening, and that gradually it 

 ceases also in those parts. This remark, however, does 

 not apply to the growth of the intemodes cf monocotyle- 

 donous plants. From other experiments it appeared that 

 light prevents the growth of the intemodes, as plants in 

 the shade developed more space in the intemodes than in 

 the sunlight. 



The experiments upon the leaves of plants were made 

 in the same manner. The petiole, the midrib, and the 

 lateral veins *ere marked off into equal spaces, and their 

 growth observed from day to day. From experiments 

 made upon the Hazel and the Vine, the author came to 

 the conclusion that the petiole ceased to grow in a centri- 

 fugal direction, whilst the midrib and lateral costce ceased 

 to grow in a centripetal direction. In the simple leaves 

 of the Hazel, the point of the leaf ceased to grow fiffrt, 

 then the edge down to the base. The same took place in 

 the lobed leaves of the Vine, the point of the midrib-lobe 

 ceasing to grow first, and so on to the base of the whole 

 leaf. The same results were obtained from experiments 

 on the growth of the leaves of Ampelopsis quinquefolia. 

 It might have been supposed that as pinnated leaves are 

 considered only modifications of lobed leaves, that they 

 would obey the same law of cessation of growth ; but from 

 experiments made on the leaves of Rhus typhinum and 

 Fraxinus excelsior, it was found that the midrib of these 

 leaves obeyed the law of the centrifugal cessation of 

 growth, whilst the end and side leaflets ceased to grow 

 centripetally. The paper concludes with a table of expe- 

 riments on Acacia lophantha in proof of the correctness 

 of these conclusions, and the author promises to pursue 

 the subject further. — L. E. 



EXTRACTS FROM NOTES OF A VISIT TO EQUATORIAL 

 AMERICA, IN SEARCH OF PLANTS AND SEEDS FOR 

 THE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY OF LONDON. By Mr. 

 T. HARTWEG. 

 (From the M Horticultural Transactions," Vol. III., Part I.) 



I arrived on the 3d of December, 1836, at Vera Cruz. Two 

 days' riding, over a country without regular roads and through 

 ravines, brought me to Zaquapan. For three leagues, from Vera 

 Cruz to Santa Fe, the road layover a sandy plain by the sea- 

 side, covered partly by Convolvulus maritimus. a large round- 

 leaved Opuntia, a Croton, and, above all, by Mimosa pudica. At 

 Santa Fe the vegetation became more luxuriant, and the small 

 shrubs were replaced by stately Palms, Acacias, several Scita- 

 rttinettus plants, and various climbers. 



Zaqcapav is placed at an elevation of about 3000 feet above 

 the level of the sea, on the eastern declivity of the snow-clad 

 Orizaba, which attains the height of more than 17,000 feet ; the 

 climate is temperate, and the place surrounded with the richest 

 vegetation I ever saw in Mexico. Upon leaving* the savannahs, 

 which are covered with a scanty undergrowth, I entered a forest 

 of Oaks {Quercus jalapens/s, H.B.K.) and there a change took 

 place as II brought on by magic ; Orchidacea, for which I had 

 been on the look out since I left Vera Cruz, and of the finding of 

 which I had given up all hope, considering the elevation I had 

 attained, appeared here in the greatest abundance ; the Oaks 

 actually seemed to groan under their weight; Maxillaria densa 

 and tenui folia, forming festoons, and hanging gracefully over 

 the branches they were growing on, seemed to strive with the 

 larger species of Tillandsia for their existence. It was here I 

 met with the beautiful and new Cyrtochilum macula turn, and the 

 varieties of it now become so common- In the ravines or rocks 

 I found Maxiltaria nromatica, Epidendrum striatum, equitans, 

 umbellutum, fuscatum, cochleatum (this latter with nearly all its 

 varieties), and Acropera Loddigesii. Iu the more exposed situa- 

 tions, particularly on trees overhanging the perpendicular sides 

 of the ravines, Stelis ciliaris, Dinemn pohjbulhon, Isochitus 

 linearis, Polystachym luteal*, and the little plant that now bears 

 my name {Hartsotgia purpurea) were common. The first pUnt 

 of Brasavula glauca I met with was on a Coecoloba, in a wood 

 descending to the savannah ; but I afterwards found it on Oaks 

 in abundance near this station. To grow this plant, as well as 

 Hartwegia purpurea to perfection, I would recommend a tem- 

 perature of 65-70° <>f Fahr., and to be kept in the driest part of 

 the stove. The same treatment may be applied to the thick- 



I 



at the time covered with its black berries on spikes more than a 

 foot in length. In the more open places, among Grass, the 

 Cebaddla or Asagreea officinalis was ripening its seeds on a stem 

 four feet high; the roots, leaves, and particularly the seeds of 

 this plant are used by the muleteers, in a state of fine powder 

 for killing the maggots in the wounds of their beasts, and occa! 

 sionally an infusion of it is used in extirpating certain vermin 

 which may be fouud on the heads of the lower class; but it* 

 employment is not so general as the occasion for it. The soai> 

 plant, Agave stponaria, was found in the same locality, throwing 

 up its flower- stem like a tuberose, to which, in fact, it bears mucb 

 resemblance. Its thick, fleshy root crushed is a good substitute 

 for soap, and is abundantly used by those who are too poor to 

 buy that article. 



[After quitting the city of Mexico] my first excursion was to 

 the Gican'te, the highest point of the range of mountains of 

 Guanajuato, where I was rewarded with Garrya obovata* then 

 in flower, forming a shrub six feet high; I afterwards found it 

 more commonly on the Bufa, a bluff rock a league from Guana- 

 juato. Arctostaphylos pungens has also been found in thes* 

 stations, both in flower and fruit. Berberis fascicularis t forming 

 a shrub 6 to 10 feet high, was covered with flowers, as well as 

 Ribes campanulutum. In another excursion I found, both ia 

 flower and fruit, a second species cf Garrya (G. laurifolia) 

 forming an evergreen shrub 12 to 15 feet high, with the Madrono* 

 or Arbutus densiflora, forming a shrub, or small tree, covered 

 with delicate white flowers. In the more sheltered situations, 

 in the ravines near the town, Clematis pubescens was in full 

 flower. Oaks, which cover the greater part of the mountains, 

 were in great variety, but the acorns of the preceding year being 

 all dead, I could procure neither seeds nor specimens. Pine* 

 were nowhere to be met with. 



On the 13th of April I arrived in Leon from Guanajuato. The 

 only things worthy of notice from this station were Ipomcea 

 longifolia and Leelia majalis ; the latter species I found at an 

 elevation of about 8000 feet, growing on Oaks, and producing 

 such a profusion of large pink flowers in May, that even the 

 Mexicans find it attractive, and stick a few plants on the Limes 

 {Citrus medica) growing before their houses. Of this I sent aa 

 abundant supply of plants, but as it has resisted all attempts at 

 cultivation, I would recommend it to be kept in the driest part 

 of the stove, and to be liberally supplied with water during the 

 summer months only. In fields Lupinus Hartwegii was common; 

 this seem^ to be quite stationary, having nowhere else been me* 

 with. 



On the 1/tU of June I arrived at Lagos, where I found the 

 same barrenness during the dry season as at Leon; and after a 

 month's fruitless wandering, I left, on the 13th of July, for 

 Aguas Calientes. Of the more interesting plants found near 

 Lagos I may mention 31 ilia bifloru, bearing from one to six of 

 its star-like white flowers on one scape; Btssera elegans {Calo- 

 prasum Gtroltinnum of Schiede), the bruised leaves of which, 

 mixed with a little water, are used occasionally for killing flies; 

 Zephyr an t hes sessilis ; Sprekelia glauca; and Hubranthus con. 

 color; the three latter flowering before the leaves appear. 



At Aguas Camentks I found a little more occupation, the 

 rains having then set in; but being still dissatisfied with my 

 excursions, I determined at once to leave the high table-land and 

 proceed to Bolauos, where I should have the command of a ve- 

 getation from 3000 to more than 8000 feet of elevation. The 

 town of Bolanos, where I arrived on the 4th of October, is situ- 

 ated in a deep ravine, about 3000 feet above the level of the 

 sea, and from its confined situation has a higher temperature 

 than might be supposed. The thermometer ranges from 39° to 

 85° Fahr. in the month of December, but in May it is from 85° to 

 95 Fahr., and even as high as 102° in the shade. The atmosphere 

 being very dry is favourable to the growth of Bromeliaceous and 

 Cactaceous plants, of which latter there is a great variety, espe- 

 cially among Opuntias and Cerci. Of the latter there are species 

 which rise to the height of 30 or 40 feet, and yield an agreeable 

 fruit of the size of a large walnut, with red or yellow pulp • they 

 arc known under the name of Pitayn. Here also occurred a spe- 

 cies of Agave, with leaves six feet long by four inches broad, 

 from which a spirit is distilled known under the name of Vino 

 Mescal. When the plants are of a certain size they arc taken up, 

 and the stem, which is about I8iucheslong, as well as the leaves, 

 iscutoffto the base, which gives the trunk a globular appear- 

 ance. In this state it is roasted, then crushed, and after passing 

 into the vinous fermentation, Vino 3Iescal is distilled from it. 

 This spirit may be compared to weak whisky, but its strong 

 smoky flavour renders it anything but pleasant. The plant I 

 never could see in flower. 



Ascending the steep sides of the ravine on the western side,S 

 left the region of Acacias, Bromeliacete, and arborescent Cerei, 

 and entered that of Oaks. After a four leagues' ride and constant 

 ascent, I arrived at Bkrbekka, the Mining Company's wood- 

 cutting establishment, situate in the midst of woods at an eleva- 

 tion of more than 8000 feet above the level of the sea. Here I 

 found, surrounded by evergreen Oaks, Pin-s, and Arbutus densi* 

 flora, the showy Befariamexicana, forming a shrub of about 8 ft. 

 high, and at the time covered with its large white flowers. The 

 pretty little 3Iammillaria senilis I found on rocks in the more ex- 

 posed situations; its long white spines, which at the points an* 

 bent backwards, seem to defend it against frost. In the more 

 open places Lupinus leptocarput, Pentsttmon imberbis, Lamov- 

 rouxia longiftora, and mult'Jidavrcre common. 



On the 26th of February, 1838, 1 proceeded from Zacatecas over 

 the high table land to Sav Luis Potost, and thence to the Ran- 

 cho de los Gallitos. Near San Luis Potosi 1 found Herberts trtfo- 

 liata in great abundance, forming ashrub 4 to 5 feet high; it waa 

 then just coming into flower. The Rancho de los Gallitos, on the 

 eastern declivity of the great table-land in a narrow valley, enjoys 

 a delightful temperature, and is surrounded by constant verdure 

 and noble forests of Oaks. It was near this station I found the strid- 

 ing Berbcris Hartwegii, with its long spikes of flowers and pin- 

 nate leaves. This desirable species still remaining to be imported, 

 I shall describe its locality particularly, for its seeds will amply 

 remunerate any traveller that may land at Tampico and proceea 

 to San Luis Potosi or Zacatecas. Before reaching the valley 01 

 Los Gallitos, on the ascent from Santa Barbara, there is a biua 

 rock on the right-hand side of the road, called " El Contadero, 

 with a small chapel hewn in the rock, and always gaily a ? ™^* 

 with fl:>wers and candles by the passers by ; this place is held in 

 the deepest reverence by the Indians, from the circumstance 01 

 Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe being said to have appearea cw 

 several of them ; and they cannot pass this place without pa>in& 

 homage to their protectress saint. It was at the foot ot this roc* 

 that I found Berberis Hartwegii. 



I now resolved to leave the arid plains in the north ana pro- 

 ceed to Morklia, the capital of the state of Mechoacan. i 

 countrv about this town, from its broken surface, present s 

 beautiful vegetation ; in the higher parts Pines and Oaks gro 

 intermixed, and the latter are adorned with a great van *]J . 

 Epiphytes. On the western declivity towards the active v0 !^\ u 

 Jorullo, I found Pinus oocarpa in great abundance, forming 

 tree 40 to 50 feet high; of this I secured an ample suppif f 

 seeds, but from its low situation, I fear it will n°5, be Kp 

 against our northern winters. The cones of this Pine, after oe * 

 ripe, will remain on the tree without opening for two or in 

 years, and the seeds in them are equally as sound as the u 

 ones. In the more elevated parts I found the showy r *v 

 fulgens in the greatest perfection, and beside it Rl &™ n *\^ 

 rnea, bearing it* bright scarlet flowers on a scape 3 to4 fee " b ■ • 

 In the more shaded places, the pretty little Hydrotantametet^ 

 and Ariseema marraspatha were met with. In pasture?, xsr 

 geminiflora and Cyclobothrabarbutawere common. 



The 



m 



