Botanical Society of Edinburgh. 320 
Fagus sylvatica Acer rubrum Pittosporum Tobira 
Alnus glutinosa platanoides Genista elongata and 
— cordifolia Azalea pontica Wistaria sinensis— 
Viscum album, mas Daphne pontica (wall) 
Lonicera Xylosteum Ribes aureum Caragana frutescens 
Cydonia japonica — speciosum Ulmus montana 
Buxus sempervirens Berberis Jamesoni Fraxinus excelsior 
Ilex Aquifolium Viburnum vestitum Double flowering 
Kuonymus europzus Weigela rosea cherry 
Acer Pseudo-platanus 
Thursday, 11th June 1863.—T. C. Arcuzr, Esq., Vice-President, 
in the Chair. 
The following Communications were read :— 
1.—On the Nature of the Perigynium or Utriculus of the Genus Carex. 
By A. Wesmaet of the School of Horticulture of Vilvorde in Belgium. 
The author remarks that Saint Hilaire and Lindley compare the 
utriculus of carices to the superior glumella or palea of grasses, and 
adopt the views of Brown, who considers the palea formed of two coherent 
bracts. Lemaout and Adrien Jussieu entertained the same opinion. 
The point to be determined is whether the axis bearing the secondary 
flower takes its origin laterally—and in that case either to the right or 
left, and opposite one of the two teeth which surmount the utriculus, and 
which correspond to the two median ribs of the two perigonial divisions 
of Lindley ; or whether that axis is inserted in front of the ovary. After 
careful examination, M. Wesmael finds that the latter view is the 
correct one—viz., that the secondary axis is produced in front of the 
ovary: This is the view taken also by Kunth, Gay, Roper, and 
Schlechtendal. 
The following are the conclusions at which he has arrived :— 
“1, The utriculus which envelopes the ovary of the carices has been 
considered in two different ways. 
2. According to the theory of Lindley, this utriculus is formed by the 
cohesion of two bracts, whilst, according to Kunth, it is formed by a 
single bract. 
3. Lindley believes in the presence of two bracts, from the existence of 
the two ribs in the utriculus, which he thus regards as analogous to the 
two-keeled palea of grasses. 
4. Lindley looks on the utriculus as being developed on an axis, which 
gives origin both to it and the ovary. 
5. This theory does not give a true view of the nature of the racheole. 
6. The racheole is a prolongation of the secondary axis, which, in an 
abnormal inflorescence of Carex acuta, after having given origin to the 
normal utriculus, is prolonged, and comes out in company with the stigma 
at the orifice of the utriculus; it then gives origin to the bract, and 
afterwards to the secondary utriculus; and on the axil of this is developed 
a very short axis, terminated by the ovary. 
7. The racheole is not developed to the right or left of the ovary,— 
that is to say, in front of the one or the other of the two principal ribs of 
the utriculus,—but is prolonged in front of the ovary, and consequently 
between it (the ovary) and the parent bract. 
NEW SERIES.—VOL. XVIII. No. 11.—ocToBeR 1863. 7 
