508 Botanical Society of Edinburgh. 



BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH. 



April 11, 1850. — Professor Fleming, President, in the Chair. 



Dr. Greville made the following report on fibrous matter from the 

 Edinburgh Water Company's works, presented at the last meeting by 

 Mr. M'Nab, and on a similar substance found on an old wheelbarrow 

 in Dundee, by Mr. W. Ogilvie : — 



" The fibrous substance from the Water-works is Ozonium auri- 

 comum of Link. Along with a number of other fibrous and byssoid 

 productions, it is now regarded as either an imperfectly developed or 

 aberrant form of some fungus. Ozonium, Hi?nantia, Fibrillaria, 

 Acrothamnium, Byssocladium, &c, are considered by Fries as the 

 Mycelia of Hymenomycetous Fungi, in a more or less monstrous 

 state. I am not aware that the full development has ever been traced, 

 so that the species has not been identified. 



" The specimens from an old wheelbarrow are probably the same 

 plant. Having been more favourably placed, there is evidently an 

 approach to a higher development." 



Dr. Balfour stated that he had received from Mr. James Kay, Bel- 

 turbet, Ireland, a specimen of Orthotrichum with peculiar conferva-like 

 bodies on the leaves. These had been examined by Dr. Greville, who 

 reported as follows : — " The productions sent by Mr. Kay are common 

 on Orthotrichum crispum, and more or less on O. Lyellii, and one or 

 two other species. They arise often singly from various parts of the 

 leaves, and in O. Lyellii are scattered all over them. Hooker and 

 Taylor in 'Muscologia Britannica' regard them as a Conferva (C. 

 Orthotrichi), and Bridel as a sort of gland. But Bruch and Schimper 

 consider them as secondary radicular filaments, which may also be 

 observed along the whole length of the stems. They will be found 

 figured in both a simple and branched state, in tab. 16 of 'Bryo- 

 logia Europsea. 5 I believe the view of these authors to be the true 

 one. The singular mass found at the apex of the leaves may be re- 

 garded as analogous to the radiating apices of the fronds of some 

 ferns. But it is difficult to account for their appearance in O. crispum 

 at a particular stage of growth, which seems to be the case ; and I 

 am besides under the impression that they are not found on specimens 

 in female fructification." 



Mr. M'Nab showed a specimen of Ranunculus Ficaria, raised from 

 roots which had been gathered in Silesia by the Rev. Mr. Wade in 

 1848. These roots had been exposed over a large extent of country 

 by heavy rains, and the people gathered them and used them as food. 

 Their sudden appearance gave rise to various conjectures as to their 

 nature and origin, and in the Austrian newspapers they were spoken 

 of as having fallen from the sky. They were used as peas by the 

 inhabitants. Mr. M'Nab had tasted the dried specimens as well as 

 fresh roots of Ranunculus Ficaria gathered in this country, which, 

 after being boiled, he found very amylaceous. There is no acridity 

 in the roots even in their fresh state. 



A paper was read on Indian Hemp (Cannabis indica), by Alexan- 

 der Christison, Esq. (see p. 483.) 



