REMARKABLE CASE OF VEGETABLE TRANSFORMATION. 



29 



IV. — Memorandum concerning a Remarhahle Case of Vegetable 

 Transformation. By Professor Lindley. 



At a time when much attention has been drawn to supposed, or 

 possible, cases of transmutation in the Vegetable Kingdom, any 

 striking fact which bears upon so abstruse a question appears to 

 be highly deserving of record ; if it were only for the purpose of 

 showing within what limits the changes in question are really 

 confined. For that reason I make no apology for laying before 

 the Fellows of the Horticultural Society the following strange 

 occurrence, for a knowledge of which I was in the first instance 

 indebted to Sir Philip Egerton, and afterwards to Lady Rolle, 

 in whose park at Bicton, near Sidmouth, it occurred. 



The following letter from. Mr. James Barnes, C.M.H.S., 

 Lady Rolle's intelligent gardener, explains the origin of what is 

 about to be described : — 



" I beg to forward a small branch of a Colletia, observed by 

 Sir Philip Egerton growing in her Ladyship's arboretum; at the 

 moment Sir Philip was making inquiries of me respecting it, I 

 had quite forgotten its origin ; since that time I have a perfect 

 recollection, through being reminded of it by the foreman of the 

 arboretum, who states that three years last spring, on our looking 

 over the pleasure-ground in search of plants that would be an 

 acquisition to the already extensive collection of plants in her 

 Ladyship's arboretum, 1 gave him this plant, stating at the same 

 time, that it was a seedling I had raised from Colletia horrida, 

 and that it seemed to be something different from it, and would 

 possibly prove a variety. Of this circumstance I have a perfect 

 recollection. I also perfectly recollect my turning the young 

 plant out of a pot into the place it was growing on the pleasure- 

 ground the year previous, at a time when I turned out a number 

 of other old greenhouse and New Holland plant- seedlings, &c. 

 It was then about two years old ; it is now grown to be a nice, 

 healthy, curious looking plant, at this time well covered with 

 bloom, about four feet high and from three to four feet in 

 diameter. It is perfectly hardy ; at least it has never had the 

 least protection with us, since it was first turned out." — Nov. 27, 

 1349. 



Colletia horrida, the plant here alluded to as being the parent 

 of the singular production about to be described, was so called 

 by Willdenow, but is better known under its more correct name 

 of C. spinosa ; it is also sometimes called C. spinosissima, and 

 C. polyacantha. It forms a leafless spiny shrub, growing 3 or 

 4 feet high, and producing little, bell-shaped, greenish-white 

 flowers in some abundance at the base of its spines. Being a 

 Chilian plant, and therefore somewhat tender, except in the 

 warmer parts of England, and not having much beauty, it is so 



