SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE. 



clxxvii 



V/illow Seedlings. — Mr. Fraser remarked that it had been reported 

 that Willow seed rarely or never germinates, but he produced consider- 

 able evidence in the form of seedlings to show the contrary is the case. 

 A constant supply of moisture and the absence of competition with tall 

 herbaceous plants are necessary to the success of the young "Willow 

 seedlings, but given these conditions the seed germinates readily 

 when fresh. He had found seedlings of Salix repens (seeds of which will 

 germinate within forty-eight hours of sowing), 5. alba, S. viminalis, S. 

 Lapponum, S. Caprea, S. cinerea, S. aurita, S. nigricans, S. phylici- 

 folia, S. Arbuscula, and 5. lanata. He showed beautifully dried 

 specimens of all but the last of these. 



Variegation in Dandelion. — Mr. A. Worsley showed a variegated 

 Dandelion which had appeared in his garden. The variegation took 

 the form of light yellow patches here and there on the foliage, both 

 young and old leaves being affected. He took the plant to ascertain 

 whether the variegation would appear in another year. 



Curious Teasel. — Mr. E. A. Bowles showed a curious head of 

 Dipsacus Fullonum. It had been noticed while the plant was growing 

 that the flowers had begun to open at the base of the inflorescence first 

 instead of in the middle as usual, and foHose bracts had developed at 

 the top of the stem in a tuft very similar to the crown of the Pineapple 

 on a small scale. Mr. W. C. Worsdell took the specimen to examine 

 further (see below). 



Malformed Walnut. — Mr. Bowles also showed a curious Walnut, the 

 apex of which was drawn out to a point ; it was one of six that had 

 been found in a field at Enfield. 



Scientific Committee, November 3, 1914. 



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



members present. 



Teasel malformed. — Mr. W. C. Worsdell, F.L.S., stated that he had 

 examined the Teasel head shown by Mr. Bowles at the last meeting and 

 had found, besides the peculiarities mentioned then, proliferation 

 and branching into secondary heads (still of small size) at the apex 

 (see above). 



Hybrid Willows. — Mr. J. Fraser, F.L.S., showed a series of beauti- 

 fully prepared specimens of Salix hybrids, mostly collected in Surrey, 

 and between the species cinerea, aurita, and viminalis. 



Lobing of Oak leaves. — Mr. J. T. Bennett-Poe, V.M.H., showed 

 some very deeply lobed leaves of Quercus Cerris, the divisions reaching 

 nearly to the midrib. 



Bifurcation of leaves. — Mr. E. A. Bowles drew attention to forked 

 terminal leaflets of the Common Ash, and to a forked leaf of Rhus 

 cotinoides which he exhibited. Mr. Fraser said that similar bifurcation 

 was frequent in leaves of Ulmus campestris var. viminalis. 



