Ixxxiv PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



than in permanent pastures. He also showed Plantago major with vires- 

 cent flowers, and Scabiosa atropurpiorea in which the central florets were 

 displaced by long green bracts. 



Damaged Cactus Stems. — From Teignmouth came shoots of Phyllo- 

 cactus showing brownish spots of somewhat irregular shape, and nearly 

 a quarter of an inch in diameter. In the centre of each was a dark spot 

 looking like a puncture. These were no doubt caused by punctures from 

 the spines on neighbouring shoots, and by the production of cork on the 

 part of the plant in its efforts to heal the w^ound made by the spines. 



Buds on Inflorescence of Saxifrage. — Mr. E. H. Jenkins, of Hampton 

 Hill,', sent a specimen of Saxifraga Cotyledon, received from Bavaria, in 

 which a large number of small rosettes of leaves had been produced in the 

 axils of bracts on the axis of the inflorescence. He said that the occur- 

 rence was very frequent this year with this species, and suggested that 

 " by reason of the incessant rains experienced there the functions of the 

 flowers were interrupted, or their power of forming seeds destroyed. 

 Possibly the pollen had been washed away or injured, and no seeds were 

 formed. The flowering stems, remaining green beyond their usual time, 

 directed their energies to the formation of these small rosettes." 



Monthretias dying. — Plants of Monthretia with foliage dying and 

 turning a dark-brown colour came from Chingford. The trouble seems 

 common this year, and appears to be a physiological one rather than one 

 due to any specific organism. The best plan to adopt in order to avoid 

 its occurrence appears to be to move the plants at least every two years ; 

 plants left for a longer time very frequently succumb to the disease. 



Bean Anthracnose. — Specimens of runner beans were received from 

 Plympton badly affected with bean anthracnose caused by the fungus 

 Colletotrichum Lindemuthianum. The disease is described, and treat- 

 ment indicated in Journ. R.H.S. xxvii. (1902), p. 809. 



Melampyrum arvense. — Mr. Chittenden showed specimens of the 

 purple cow wheat {Melampyrnm arvense), a somewhat rare semi-para- 

 sitic cornfield weed in England, from an Essex locality, together with the 

 seeds, which bear a remarkable resemblance to dark grains of w^heat. 



Solaniim Commersonii. — Mrs. Hancock gave an interesting account of 

 the way in which she introduced this plant, which has recently been the 

 cause of a considerable amount of discussion among growers of potatoes, 

 particularly on the Continent, into her garden from M. Labergerie's 

 garden at Verrieres after the Brest Conference. She first received it in 

 January 1904, and has succeeded in establishing it thoroughly w^ell in her 

 garden at Horeham Road, Sussex, and has since been able to distribute 

 a considerable number of tubers to different parts of the country. She 

 finds it will withstand a greater degree of cold than do the varieties of 

 S. tuberosum. Her remarks were illustrated by a photograph of the plant 

 growing, specimens of the plant in flower, and with immature fruits and 

 tubers of a considerable size. She had cooked the tubers and found they 

 possessed no bitter flavour. 



