ccii PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



rose, and spotted with crimson. He observed that the method of cultiva- 

 tion was similar to that of Disa in a cool-house. Professor Henslow 

 remarked that D. grand iflora, " The Glory of Table Mountain," does not 

 seed freely there, but propagates itself chiefly by underground stolons. 



Lily fasciatcd. — Mr. H. Simpson, Wandsworth,- sent a fine specimen 

 of L ilium auratum in this condition. 



Acorns striped. — Rev. M. C. H. Bird, of Brunstead Rectory, Stalham, 

 Norwich, sent specimens of Acorns peculiar to one tree in the above 

 locality, a variety of the common Oak : they are very small, and trans- 

 versely striped with narrow black bands. Quercus nigra, of the U S.A., 

 has similar striping, but the cause is unknown. 



Buellia, cleis tog anions form of. — Mr. H. C. Davidson, Great Totham, 

 Witham, Essex, called attention to this hitherto unknown peculiarity. 

 The Ruellias referred to should have borne "large blue flowers " ; but 

 the flowers borne were white, and so small that they could hardly be 

 seen unless they were looked for. The envelope was early pushed off, 

 like that of Esclischolzia, but the pods swelled and produced seeds. 

 One of the plants carrying the tiny white flowers and also ripened seed- 

 pods has since produced a larger single blue flower. 



Fertility of Hybrids. — Capt. Ch. C. Hurst sent the following com- 

 munication : "At the meeting of the Committee on Oct. 21, under the 

 heading ' Vigour in Hybrids,' it was observed that 1 hybrids of Cypripedium 

 Fairieanum will not cross.' According to the records, this statement 

 can hardly be accurate, because on sixteen distinct occasions hybrids of 

 C. Fairieanum have produced offspring which have duly flowered. The 

 following is a list of the crosses recorded (for detailed references see the forth- 

 coming Orchid Stud Book). (1) Paphiopcdiluni x vexillarium, a hybrid 

 between P. barbatum and P. Fairieanum, has been successfully crossed with 

 P. barbatum, P. bellatulum, P. hirsutissimum, P. Spiccrianum, P. insignc, 

 P. Stonci, P. x calophyllum, P. x ' Io,' and P. x Williamsianum. 

 (2) P. x Arthurianum, a hybrid between P. insignc and P. Fairieanum, has 

 been successfully crossed with P. ' Argus,' P. Spiccrianum, and P. x 

 Lecanum. (3) P. x ' Niobe,' a hybrid between P. Spiccrianum and 

 P. Fairieanum, has been successfully crossed with P. insignc, P. Spicc- 

 rianum, P. x Orphanum and P. javanico-supcrbiens. We may therefore 

 conclude that whatever degree of fertility may be peculiar to hybrids of 

 P. Fairieanum, it cannot be said that they are absolutely sterile." Mr. 

 Veitch quite corroborated Mr. Hurst's observations. 



Introduction of fungus pests.— Dr. Cooke, V.M.H., made the following 

 observations : " Apropos of Mr. Massee's statement at a recent meeting of 

 the Committee, that a fungus pest, a smut on grasses (Cintractia), was 

 introduced into 1 Britain with a species of Bromus from Patagonia, a 

 similar instance has come to hand as to the introduction of the destructive 

 Apple and Pear scab (Fusicladium dendriticum) into South Australia. 

 This disease was apparently wholly unknown in that colony previous to 

 1877, when its introduction was attributed to an infected Seckle Pear-tree 

 which was imported from America. This is not improbable, and should 

 serve as a warning to ruthlessly destroy any and all imported plants 

 which give evidence of disease, and to thoroughly disinfect the soil." 



/ 'cms proliferous. — Mr. Druery, V.M.H., exhibited a pinna of Athyrium 



