378 BOTANICAL NEWS, 
dela Plata, and a flowering branch, stated to have been reared by Mr. 
Veitch in Devonshire, was subse uently figured in the Botanical Maga- 
zine ches 1858.—Mr. Alfred 0. Walker called attention to specimens of 
rees (among others Eugenia eect Fremontia california and 
Prtitinin Clevelandii, growing freely near Chester ; it is said to be the 
first time the latter species has flowered in Britain _—Some adventitious 
piece of sugar-c ane containing a fungus ca to him for examination. 
This fungus, as yet undetermined, is stated to have caused the 
destruction of a plantation in the Soult, India. The following papers 
were read :—*‘ On the source of the winged Cardamom of Nepal,” by 
Dr. George King, Supreintendent Royal Botanic Gardens, Calcutta. 
The author had been requested by the late Mr. Daniel Hanbury to 
inquire into the botanical origin of this drag; the result, owing to 
Mr. Hanbury’s untimely death, has hitherto remained unpublished. 
By ‘Dr. Pereira this Ca rdamom was regarded as the produce 
Amomum maximum, Roxb, but this in reality is indigenous to Java. 
The Indian species Roxburgh named A. aromaticum anda secon 
called A. subulatum. Dr. King brings forward evidence to 
show that the latter species, and not A. maximum, yields the so-called 
winged Cardamom of Nepal; its true habitat is the Morung 
as Vi i 
was exhibited, including the ones eet by Dr. cies “On 
Self-fertilisation of Plants,” by the Rev. George Henslow. The 
author in introducing his subject spoke in terms of great respect and 
admiration of the immense number of facts and fund of able reasoning 
contained in the published writings of Darwin, which the author 
admitted he had freely used, though his own See tended 
towards a different result. According to the views of Mr. Henslow, 
given in a - his communication, ‘the chief facts concerning self- 
fe arised is nbjoi 
yori ty 0 3 
to be physio. “aa self-sterile. 3. Many are nope self- 
sterile. 4. Self-sterile plants become self-fertile by (a) withering of 
the corolla ; (2) its excision ; () loss of sci a) closing; enn not 
opening ; (f) ab sence of insects; (g) reduction of temperature ; “ 
. Highly self-fertile ram igs arise under eul 
vation. 6. Special adaptations occur for self-fertilisation. 7. i 
conspicuous flowers are highly self-fertile. 8. Cleistogamous flowers 
are always self-fertilised. Sonservation of energy in reduction of 
it Relatiy fertilit may equal or surpass that 
oe ‘ive fert: t of erossed 
plants. 11. It does not decrease in ve erations. 12. It 
y increase. 13. Free from competition self-fertilised plants equal 
toy gin no bent rom 4 (4) planted » £4. Th 
no benefit. the r a different stock. 
1s Fay hey i la 16. Rotiae ced be much 
Naturalised 
