SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE, FEBRUARY 12. XXvii 



the lower, by the notch at its apex, shows signs of its true compound 

 nature. Only one of the petals, viz. one of the lateral ones, is normal ; 

 both the others are curiously constituted, each being half label li form and 

 half sepaloid. As regards the column, the usual staminode (of the outer 

 whorl of the androecium) is present ; there is a petaloid outgrowth which 

 I interpret as belonging also to the outer whorl, while the two (usually 

 fertile) stamens of the inner whorl aro represented by a normal fertile and 

 a more or less petaloid stamen. The ovary is straight, and consists of 

 two carpels. The second flower has its .stalk intimately fused with the 

 ovary of the first ; its bract is carried up so as to occur immediately below 

 the first flower, as if forming one of the floral leaves of the latter: it 

 subtends the bicarpellary ovary of the second flower, which is as yet 

 unexpanded, but the remaining parts of which were seen on dissection to 

 be normal. A considerable number of Cyjjripeditim and other orchid 

 sports are due to fasciation, in which two or more flowers are concerned ; 

 as, for example, in the last case reported on at the Scientific Committee 

 by Dr. Masters. If this were more often borne in mind much of the 

 difficulty of unravelling these complex structures would be avoided. 

 The two flowers are often much more intimately blended than in the case 

 described above." 



Fasciated Bramble. — A curiously fasciated and contorted shoot of 

 bramble was received from Mrs. M. S. Nicol, of King's Langley. 



Amaryllis Spike witJiering. — A spike of Amaryllis was received from 

 Twyford in a withered condition. It had been growing well, but suddenly 

 growth stopped, and the leaves and stem became weak and flabby. The 

 roots appeared healthy and the bulb firm. The plant had been started 

 about three weeks, and was plunged in a bottom heat of about 00° to 

 65°. It was thought that the trouble was probably due to encouraging 

 too great an amount of aerial growth before the roots wen; sufficiently 

 developed to provide a proper supply of water. 



Forest Journeys. — Dr. Henry gave a brief outline of his recent travels 

 in the Western States of America, Spain, Italy, Corsica, and Algiers, 

 commenting particularly upon some of the forest trees he had met with, 

 and speaking in appreciative terms of the forest service of the States, 

 which in a few years has done a great amount of valuable work. The 

 forests of the United States, he thought, were being rapidly exhausted, 

 and this would greatly enhance the value of the woods of Canada. Mr. 

 Worsley, who had recently been travelling in Portugal, remarked upon a 

 dwarf variety of (Juercus Suber which covered considerable areas near 

 Cintra, and said similar barrenness of the soil was following the destruc- 

 tion of woodlands in Portugal to that Dr. Henry had described as 

 occurring in other parts of the world. Mr. J. Burtt-Davy, the director of 

 the Department of Agriculture of the Transvaal, spoke of the species of 

 Widdringtonia growing wild in South Africa, saying there was at least 

 one species occurring wild in the Transvaal, and others were cultivated : 

 while Mr. Sim, of Natal, remarked upon the gr< at variability of the species 

 of this genus, one growing in the mountains merely in the form of hushes, 

 but when transplanted to the valleys below attaining the size of a con- 

 siderable tree. There appear to be many forms of this genus which are 

 as yet not well known. 



