SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE, MARCH 28. 



xxi 



for he thinks that all varieties originated in South China and 

 spread westwards. The value of the Citron was supposed to be 

 purely medicinal by tbe ancients, and M. Loret alludes to one 

 use, viz., for affections of the spleen, the true value of which Dr. 

 Bonavia corroborates. 



Peridermi/um Strobi. — Mr. Plowright sent specimens of this 

 fungus with the following observations : " Last July I found in 

 the garden of Mr. C. E. Boyes, at Oakwood House, Tottenhill, 

 that the Currant-bushes were affected with Cronartium ribicola, 

 specimens of which were sent to the Scientific Committee, as 

 this fungus had not previously been recorded in Great Britain. 

 In the same garden were some young trees of Pinus Strobus, 

 which were roughly trimmed so as to form a screen or hedge. 

 On these trees must have occurred the recidiospores of the Cro- 

 nartium at some season of the year, Prof. Klebalm, of Bremen r 

 having shown that these form the life cycle of this fungus. On 

 March 19th of this year I visited Oakwood House, and was 

 pleased to find the Peridermium in perfection. It will be 

 noticed on the specimens sent that the mycelium of Peridermium 

 is perennial, causing a certain amount of hypertrophy in the 

 affected branches, forming generally a fusiform enlargement of 

 the twig. The peripheral extremity of the branch suffers some- 

 what at first, and eventually dies. The mycelium of the Cro- 

 nartium is annual. With the hetercecious Uredineao sometimes the 

 aecidiospores have permanent mycelia as is the case there ; at 

 other times the mycelium of the teleutospores is thus endowed 

 as with the gymnosporangia." 



Ustilayo on Psamma arenaria. — " The so-called U. hypodites 

 which occurs on this grass is doubtless a distinct species. It is 

 not common in Great Britain, and appears only to have been 

 found upon the east coast. The specimens sent herewith are 

 interesting as having been produced by a root which was trans- 

 planted from the sea-coast three years ago into a town garden, 

 and which still produces diseased stems. One of the specimens 

 shows a curious distortion, consisting of a twisting of the stem 

 within the sheath. This may be due to the fungus, although in 

 the majority of cases this condition does not occur." 



Polyanthus Blue Primrose. — Mr. Wilson exhibited a seed- 

 ling from Oakwood Blue Primrose, with a very large flower, a 

 Marianne North (pale blue), and a plum-blue Polyanthus, it 



