236 Botanical Society of Ediiiburgh. 



prcssjB (alis tertia parte longioris) petala oblonga, basi auriculata, 

 dorso coiinata. Stamina 10, libera, vel ima basi cohaerentia, inaequi- 

 longa, persistentia. Ovarium villosissimum, substipitatum, stipitulo 

 basi vaginula cincto, pauci- (4 — 6) ovulatmn, suturis non inflexis. 

 Stylus filifovmis, elongatus, apice incurvus, glaber. Stigma parvum. 



Legumen — Suflrutex Novae Hollandise Auslro-Occidentalis, 



Brachysemati, R. Br. proximus ; i-amis erectis vel adscendentibus ; foliis 

 opposilis, ohlongo-ovatis, emarginatis, mucro?iatis, utringue reticulatiSj 

 margine revolutis, suhundidatis, minute denticulatis ; stipulis lanceolato- 

 subulatis, demum deciduis ; floribus sessilibus, congestis in capitula cer- 

 nua, \-jiora, bracteis 4 ovatis decussatis, coriaceis,fuscis, extus sericeis 

 sujfulta, ramulos breves axillares ierminantia. 



JaNSONIA FORMOSA. 



Hab. m Novaa Hollandias Or^ Austro-Occidentali, ad " Scott's River " 

 (1842), Gilbert (v. s.). 



Obs. Specimen habitu debiliore, et foliis ramulisque pubescentibus pauld 

 diversum a D. Jac. Drummond ad " Swan River " lectum {v. s. in Herb. 

 D. Lemann). 



The nearest affinity oi Jansonia is with Brachysema, R. Br., with 

 which genus Mr. Kippist states that it agrees in its unguiculate 

 petals, in the form and unusual length of the keel, in the extreme 

 shortness of the standard, in its elongated filiform style, and in its 

 shortly stalked villous germen, surrounded at the base by a minute 

 fleshy ring ; but it is abundantly distinguished by its capitate inflo- 

 rescence, by the remarkable inequality of its calycine segments, by 

 the much greater length of the claws of its petals, and by the pau- 

 city of its ovules, which do not appear to exceed six in number. 

 Mr. Kippist also compares it with Leptosema, Benth., which is clearly 

 distinguished by its bibracteolate calyx, composed of two nearly equal 

 lips, the uppermost of which is very slightly bifid ; its scarcely un- 

 guiculate vexillum ; its wings about equal in length to the keel ; the 

 distinct inflexion of its carinal suture ; as well as by its inflorescence, 

 that of Leptosema being a densely crowded raceme, while in Jansonia 

 the flowers are perfectly sessile and arranged in a verticillate manner 

 round a common axis, which is slightly prolonged beyond the point 

 from whence the flowers spring in the form of a short mucro. 



The genus is dedicated to the memory of the late Joseph Janson, 

 Esq., F.L.S. ; and the paper was accompanied with a drawing of the 

 plant, comprising details of its parts of fructification. 



BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH. 

 Dec. 9, 1847.— The Rev. Dr. Fleming, President, in the Chair. 



The following communications were read : — 



1. " On Anacharis Alsinastrum, a new British plant," by Chas, C. 

 Babington, Esq., with a synopsis of the other species of the genus, 

 by Dr. J. E. Planchon. See Annals, present volume, p. 81. 



2. " On the Reproduction of Cryptogamic Plants," by the late 

 William Stark Dougall, Esq., communicated by Dr. Balfour. 



The first part of this paper was read — viz. On the mode of forma, 

 tion of spores in Alg(e and Characea. 



