Botanical Society of Edinburgh. 157 
June, and lifted at the end of nine months, when the weight was found to 
be 273 lbs. The best known and most esteemed kinds are D. aculeata, 
“Goa potato ;” D. Batatas, ‘‘Chinese yam;” D. purpurea, ‘‘ Pondicherry 
potato;” and D. fasciculata, ‘‘ Tenasserim yam.” Besides these, D. glo- 
bosa and D. alata, with Arum campanulatum, are much cultivated ; 
whilst D. bulbifera, pentaphylla, and oppositifolia are common species 
in the jungles. 
3. Effect of the late Winter on the Conifere and other Trees and Shrubs 
at Belstane. By Mr P. 8. Rosertson. 
4. Report on the effects of the Frost on the Trees at Borthwick Hall 
ae Vicinity, the Property of Cuartes Lawson, Esq. By Mr W. 
ORRIE, 
Thursday, 9th May.—Dr W. H. lowe, President, in the Chair. 
The following Communications were read :— 
1. Observations on some hitherto undescribed Plants from New Zealand. 
By Dr Frerpinanp Mutter, Melbourne. Communicated by Professor 
Batrovur. 
Amongst a considerable number of living plants forwarded by Th. H. 
Hulke, Esq. from the vicinity of New Plymouth, to the Botanic Garden of 
Melbourne, and also in a fine collection of dried botanical specimens, 
which the Melbourne Phytological Museum owes to the zeal and liber- 
ality of Julius Haast, Esq., of Nelson, I had the gratification of observ- 
ing several plants which appear to me novel and deserving special 
notice. In making these plants known through the medium of the Edin- 
burgh Botanical Society, I avail myself of the opportunity thus afforded 
of publicly recording the services rendered by their discoverers in pro- 
moting our knowledge of the New Zealand Flora, the foundation of which 
has been so well laid by Dr J. D. Hooker, in the justly celebrated Hlora 
Nove Zealandie. Whilst the misfortune of one of the above gentlemen, 
who saw in the northern island a flourishing estate and garden establish- 
ment annihilated by the hordes now waging war against British so- 
vereignty, calls for our deep sympathy ; we cannot but with the utmost 
pleasure turn to the southern or middle island, where, under the shelter of 
peace, an ardent geographical and geological explorer finds leisure and 
exhibits a desire to bring within the range of his observation forms of 
vegetation which are yet replete with novelty. 
Veronica Hulkeana.—Shrubby ; branches very finely downy, eylindri- 
eal; leaves opposite, subcoriaceous, rather distant, long-stalked, subcor- 
date-ovate, coarsely and almost doubly crenate-serrate, soon glabrous ; 
spikes distant, terminal, simply paniculate; bracteoles deltoid-ovate, 
shorter than the calyx, as well as the ovate lobes of the latter ciliolate ; 
corolla glabrous; its lobes considerably longer than the tube; capsule 
obcordate-roundish, turgid; seeds few, curved-ellipsoid. In mountain- 
forests towards New Plymouth.—Th. H. Huuxe, Ksq. 
The specimen cultivated in the Melbourne Botanic Garden forms a small 
shrub. Leaves generally from 1” to 14” long, shining on both surfaces, 
paler beneath, strongly one-nerved, with thin pinnately spreading veins, 
Spikes many, opposite, usually with conspicuous special peduncles, 1’ to 13” 
long ; the lowest supported by a diminutive leaf. Segments of the calyx 
almost equal, nearly 1’’’ long. Corolla about 24” long; three of its lobes 
rhomboid-orbicular, the fourth orbicular ovate. Anthers ovate, with 
bilobed bases about 3’ long. Style capillary, hardly longer than 2””. 
Stigma minutely bilobed. Capsule not seen in a matured state; already, 
when young, somewhat longer than the calyx. 
