20 



botanical gardens and was interested to note the differences 

 between the old and new world botanical gardens. 



Mr. Raymond H. Torrey told about some interesting findings 

 of rare plants in the Kittatinny Mountains and other nearby 

 ranges. 



Dr. Alfred L. Gundersen spoke of his pleasant summer in the 

 Catskills and of the vivid autumnal coloration as noted this year. 



Mr. George T. Hastings showed some very interesting 

 mounted specimens of plants collected at Tully, New York, such 

 as Isoetes and the very interesting Eleocharis Rqbbinsii. 



Dr. John S. Karling reported that he had not been into the 

 Central American jungles as is his usual custom during summer 

 vacations, since the consumption of chicle has decreased per- 

 ceptibly. Instead he spent the time on his father's estate in 

 Western Texas digging wells which are water holes for cattle, 

 and reported noticing in some of these wells unusual quantities 

 of Euglena. 



Dr. Elmer D. Merrill stated that he had an interesting case 

 in the herbarium two days before. For many years he has been 

 interested in the distribution of weeds particularly in the Orient 

 where very many are of American origin. Most of these reached 

 the Orient in the early colonial period as accidental introduc- 

 tions. Among collections received within the past three or four 

 years from various parts of the Old World, he found specimens 

 of Borreia laevis, a widely distributed American weed, from 

 such remote areas as Sumatra, Singapore, Joer in the Southern 

 Philippines, New Britain, Sepik River, New Guinea and Samoa. 

 No record of this plant occurs in any literature pertaining to the 

 flora of the Old World. The weed is apparently a very recent 

 introduction from tropical America. At the same time he re- 

 ported Borreia latifolia, another American weed from Eastern 

 Sumatra and from Singapore, also a new record from the old 

 world tropics. 



Dr. Sam F. Trelease and Dr. Ralph H. Cheney also gave in- 

 teresting reports. 



Respectfully submitted, 



Forman T. McLean 



Secretary 



