148 ‘ THE JOURNAL OF BOTANY 
periodically cut over in the seasons following V. eeslsirl* bears 
flowers with petals much broader and larger than u 
he great factor, to my mind, in the ee “of abnormal 
violet flowers is connected with the existence of two classes of 
flowers: one class, large-petalled, which usually fail to produce 
fruit ; and a second class ec minute or no petals at all, which 
nto the On the other hand, See ntone. occurring among oH 
late: -petalled violet flowers, which seldom produce ad, may not 
e ssed owing to cross-pollination not ensuing. In this 
Before prea mee this paper, I would like to point out the 
significance of the two types of abnormal flowers which are found 
throughout the species under consideration. The ordinary violet 
a is irregular and specialized for the purpose of cross-pollina- 
on by means of insects. The function of these flowers—the pro- 
yee of seed—having more or less been transferred to the cleisto- 
gamous flowers, the variations occurring among the floral envelopes 
will naturally tend towards the formation of a regular flower, as 
the petals will now tend to conform to the law that organs of a 
similar origin at nature will be alike in appearance. The two 
types of a 
characteristic of which would be that all five petals developed spurs ; 
and the other a simpler flower, in which the petalline spur would 
be suppressed. 
A HERBARIUM OF LIBERATO SABBATI. 
By James Britten, F.L.S. 
Tue second of the very interesting and hi storically valuable 
‘« Tllustrazione di aleuni Erbarii antichi Romani” which Prof. 
Pirotta and Signor Chiovenda are publishing in Malpighia is devoted 
to the Herbaria of Liberato Pcchee who, in the eighteenth century, 
was curator of the Roman Botanic Garden. A full description is 
given (op. cit. xvi. 49-157 (1902) ) \ of the contents of one of these 
herbaria, and an account of six others; an eighth is described by 
Prof. Pirotta in his Annali de Botanica, i. 59 (1903): these are 
allin Italy. It may be of interest to call attention to the existence 
volu por 
corresponds in arrangement iia peaaret me with those a saat 
described ; it was pircliaded with other books at ‘“ Lilly’s sale”’ at 
