xcvi PEOCEEDIXGS OF THE EOYAL HOETICULTUEAL SOCIETY. 
SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE. 
June 13, 1899. 
Dr. M. T. Masters, F.R.S., in the Chair, and six members present. 
Panax blaster sianum. — Dr. Masters exhibited a flowering spray of 
this plant, which bad probably come from Xew Guinea. The inflores- 
cence appeared to be all male ; and as the plant had never been 
thoroughly described, no flowers having been seen hitherto. Dr. Masters 
undertook to examine them and report upon them. 
Cattlej/a ^Iossii^. — Dr. Masters exhibited a blossom of this Orchid 
strangely malformed, which he also undertook to examine. 
Lilac with Central {Terminal) Bud Aborted. — Dr. Masters brought 
sprays to show the presence of this bud lying between two opposite 
fully-formed buds. It is always said to be aborted by frost ; but as this 
invariably happens, it would be more likely to be atrophied, in conse- 
quence of all the nourishment being conveyed to the two opposite 
buds. 
Hemerocallis Leaf Diseased. — Dr. Smith reports as follows upon 
leaves sent to the last meeting : — " The reddish spots on the leaf sent 
are caused by a fungus. Each spot is quarter to half-inch diameter, and 
consists of a patch of cavities (pycnidia i sunk in the leaf tissue. From 
these, tiny conidia are given off to disperse the fungus. In addition to 
the internal pycnidia, another form of pycnidium is formed on the sur- 
face, when a portion of the leaf with spots is kept in a moist chamber : 
these latter also give ofl: tmy conidia. The forms of pycnidia and their 
structure refer the fungus to the genus Asteroma. Farlow, in his ' Host 
Index for U.S. America,' gives a form Asteroma lineola, the pycnidial 
stage of Dothidea lineola. The ascospore or Dothidea stage is not 
present, as far as I can see, on the leaf sent."' 
Diseased Peach. — Dr. W. G. Smith reports :— The fruit sent showed 
a large patch of fungus mycelium with conidia. Two forms of conidia 
occurred, by which the rot might be referred either to black spot disease 
{Cladosporium carijophilum) or to the fruit-rot [ILonila fructigena). Iii 
transit the fungus spot appears to have enlarged enormously, and it 
looked quite unlike what one generally sees in either of the above Peach 
diseases. In any case it is a distinct fruit-rot, and controllable by 
spraying methods." 
Peridermium Ploicrighti (Kleb). — The following communication was 
received from Dr. Plowright, with illustrative specimens : — " The speci- 
mens of Peridermium sent herewith were produced by artificial cultm-e, 
and afford an illustration of how easy a matter it is to unravel a mystery 
when once one has the clue to it. It is just twenty-five years ago since 
Wolff showed that Coleosporium senecionis was connected with Perider- 
mium i:)ini on Pinus sylvcstris. This Peridermium is frequent upon the 
Fir trees near King's Lynn, so that I had ample opportunity of confirm- 
ing "Wolff's observations. As a matter of fact, between the years 1881 
and 1888, on ten separate and distinct occasions, I did apply the spores of 
