SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE, OCTOBER 26, 



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this variety is a dwarf alpine or arctic species, and regarded the 

 specimen as a variety only of the Spruce. 



Anthurium Spathe, Monstrous. — Colonel Beddome sent a 

 specimen having three spathes, and the spadix commencing to 

 branch, exhibiting a semi-proliferous condition. 



Plants exhibited. — M. Lemoine sent a spray of Tamarix 

 kashgarica, a variety of T. hispida, interesting as being a late- 

 flowering species from Central Asia ; Panax sessiliflorum, with 

 large, dense bunches of black berries, probably from Japan ; a 

 sweet-scented Begonia having a delicate but very evanescent 

 odour of lemon; and double and semi-double sports of B. 

 semper flor ens. 



Galls on Boots of Oak. — Mr. Wilks brought remarkable galls 

 forming a large mass on the roots of Oak or Chestnut. They 

 are also found on the roots of the Deodar. The galls are poly- 

 gonal and wedge-like, so forming together a globular cluster 

 about the root. They are produced by Gynips aptera. (See 

 Gardeners' Chronicle, 1841, p. 732, and 1874.) 



Scientific Committee, October 26, 1897. 

 Dr. Masters, F.B.S., in the Chair, and seven members present. 



Galls on Oak Boots. — With reference to the specimens 

 exhibited at the last meeting, Mr. McLachlan observed that 

 the name of the insect was now Biorhiza aptera, and that only 

 one sex (the female) w T as knowm as occurring in the root-galls. 

 As soon as it w T as hatched, the insect climbed to the terminal 

 shoots and laid its eggs in the buds. The result was the common 

 spongy gall, known as the Oak-apple. In this both male and 

 female insects were produced, and were formerly thought to be a 

 distinct genus, under the name of Teras terminalis. Both sexes 

 fly down to the foot of the Oak and lay their eggs in the roots 

 underground, and so reproduce the root-galls. This dimorphism 

 is characteristic of other gall-insects on the Oak. 



Sub-pelorian Cattleyas. — Mr. Veitch exhibited two sprays, 

 carrying several flow 7 ers of Cattleya labiata autumnalis, having 

 the tw r o front sepals assuming the form of hps. He observed 

 that the same plant had repeated the peculiarity both last year 

 and this, but the lip-markings are now more pronounced. The 



