SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE, FEBRUARY 22. 



xxix 



Scientific Committee, February 22, 1910. 



Mr. E. A. Bowles, M A.., F.L.S., F.E.S., in the Chair, and 

 seventeen members present. 



Azalea gall.— Mr. L. Crawshay showed a specimen of the gall on 

 Azalea indica caused by Exohasidium japonicum. See Journal, 

 E.H.S., xxxiv. (1908), p. 45. Several examples of this gall have 

 been received lately, and the disease would appear to be spreading. 

 The galls should be picked off and burned as soon as discovered. 



Cyclamen coiim. — Messrs. Jackman sent a pan of Cyclamen coum 

 album multipetalum, a form differing from the type in having seven 

 or eight petals instead of five, so that the flower appeared much rounder 

 than usual. 



Acacia dealhata. — Mr. Worsley remarked that he had noticed in 

 Portugal two forms of this plant, one having a smooth bark somewhat 

 silvery in colour, the other rough. There seems to be no record of 

 these variations, and the flowers shown exhibited no marked variation. 



Alleged rust-preventing wood. — Dr. Yoelcker inquired concerning 

 a Formosan wood which he exhibited, called in the vernacular " Sian- 

 1am," which, it was alleged, had the peculiar property of preventing 

 the rusting of iron and steel. Dr. Henry had informed him that he 

 had known a wood in Formosa under that vernacular name. Shavings 

 of this wood were steeped in water so as to extract a gummy secretion, 

 which Chinese ladies used for dressing their hair, but he had never 

 heard rust-preventing powers ascribed to the wood. Mr. Holmes took 

 the specimen shown in order to examine it further (see p. xxxi.). Dr. 

 Voelcker also made some remarks upon variation in Primroses, said 

 to be correlated with different soils. The Committee desired to see 

 specimens if possible. 



Lichens on Azalea mollis. — An inquiry with respect to the destruc- 

 tion of lichens (Parmelia physodes) on Azalea mollis was received from 

 Fleet, Hants. It was recommended that the plants should be sprayed 

 with a solution of copper sulphate (1 lb.) in water (25 gallons), while 

 the plants were leafless. 



Malformalion of Primula sinensis. — Mr. L. Crawshay reported 

 that he had examined the specimen of P. sinensis (stellata) shown at 

 the last meeting, and found at the base of the umbel two green bodies, 

 which appeared to be very greatly reduced and aborted inflorescences. 

 The linear segments which formed part of these abortions probably 

 represented perianth pieces, the terminal knob on each possibly repre- 

 senting the epipetalous stamen. At the base of these segments, 

 arranged indefinitely owing to the distortion of the placenta, were 

 .numerous sessile bodies, probably representing ovules. Mr. Crawshay 

 showed drawings in illustration of his report (fig. 67, A', A^, A^ are from 

 the reduced inflorescence A, the remainder from B). 



Malformed Cypripediu7n.— From Lord Avebury, P.C., came mal- 

 formed specimens of Cypripedium, harbatum. One flower showed the 



