186 



BOTANICAL NOTICES OF NEW PLANTS. 



and becomes an independent cell or sporule. The following are the facts which 

 have induced me to form this opinion. I find upon puncturing the sporular sac 

 of any moss in the young state, that a quantity of gummy fluid escapes through 

 the puncture. I find also, that the young sporules always adhere together in 

 masses, if carefully taken out of their natural situation, apparently from being 

 imbedded in an adhesive fluid. The structure of the sporules themselves favours 

 the opinion. In the young state they are remarkably pellucid, and contain a 

 quantity of particles, either in one mass or arranged in three or four well-defined 

 smaller masses. These particles I have observed to move with great rapidity. 

 (The species under examination was Bartramia pomiformis.) The formation of 

 these particles takes place either during the formation of the cell or very soon 

 afterwards." Mr. Valentine then adduces satisfactory proofs that the sporules 

 are not formed, as supposed by some, by the columella, inasmuch as they are 

 invariably confined between the middle and columellar membranes. ' Mr. Valen- 

 tine, in conclusion, enters upon the difficult subject of the sexes of mosses, in 

 which our limited space will not permit us to follow him ; we must content 

 ourselves, therefore, with briefly stating that, after a series of observations, he is 

 led to believe that the sporules of mosses, and of all cellular plants, are analogous 

 to the pollen of the vasculares, slightly modified by circumstances, but agreeing in 

 every essential particular. 



BOTANICAL NOTICES OF NEW PLANTS. 



DICOTYLEDONES. 

 PASSIFLOREiE. Juss. 



Passiflora Mooreana. Lindl. Mr. Moore's Passion Flower. Bol. Mag. 

 N. S. t, 3773. This species of Passion-flower bears light flowers, which both in 

 form and colour much resemble those of Passifiora Coerulea, but in addition to 

 which the flowers are fragrant. However, it is stated that its nearest affinity is 

 with Passifiora Tucuma?iensis, published in the Bot. Mag. t. 3636, from which it 

 is distinguished by its differently shaped and nearly sessile leaves and glands, and 

 by its smaller flowers. 



The seeds from which this plant was raised were received in 1827, with many 

 rarities, from Mr. Tweedie of Buenos Ayres, at the Royal Dublin Society's 

 Botanic Garden at Glasnevin, in which establishment it has been successfully 

 cultivated by Mr. Moore, after whom it has been named. It probably will bear 

 the open air. It flowered in 1829. Bot. Mag. 



COMPOSITE. 



Dahlia Royleana. (sp. nov.) Caule glabro ramoso ; foliolis ovatis basi 

 cuneatis grosse serrato-dentatis, dentibus ciliatis apiculatis ; ligulis fcemineis 

 fertilibus floribus terminalibus. 



This new species of Dahlia, which is perfectly distinct from all hitherto known, 



