238 
Botanical Society of Edinburgh. 
Dr. Parnell, Curator of the Museum ; Mr. J. M‘Nab, Artist ; Mr. 
Evans, Assistant Secretary and Curator. 
Jan. 13, 1848. — The Rev. Dr. Fleming, President, in the Chair. 
Among specimens of Portuguese plants presented to the Society 
by Sir Walter C. Trevelyan, were some marked as having been col- 
lected in the streets of Cadiz and Lisbon, viz. Frankcnia imlverulentay 
lllecebrum echinatum, and Hippia stolonifera ; these plants are re- 
markable for their habit of flourishing in the interstices of the paving 
stones of much- frequented thoroughfares, but growing so close to the 
ground that they are but little injured by the feet of passengers. The 
collection also contained specimens of Statice lusitanica from Per- 
soon’s locality. 
The following communications were read : — 
1. ‘‘On the Reproduction of Cryptogamic Plants,” by the late 
William Stark Dougall, Esq., continued. Part second : Mode of 
formation of spores in Fungi, Lichens, Musci, and Hepaticae. In this 
part of the paper the author first considered the reproductive organs 
in the various divisions of the natural order Fungi, and pointed out 
the analogy which they bear to Algce in manj’’ respects. Thus in the 
lower members of the order the mode of reproduction may be com- 
pared to that observed in Confervacece, both as regards the develop- 
ment of spores and their movement. In other cases the formation of 
spores at the dilated ends of filaments or sterigmata resembles in some 
degree what takes place in Vauclieria. He regarded the filamentous 
paraphyses as being concerned in the fertilization of the contents of 
the asci and basidia. 
He next noticed the natural order Lichenes, and considered the 
production of spores, whether naked or in asci, which are united 
in the form of apothecia ; and of the round green bodies called go- 
nidia or gongyli, which are either single or in groups. He stated 
that little was known in regard to the formation of the latter bodies, 
and that the subject of reproduction in Lichens was still very obscure ; 
although it might be said to resemble that of some Ascomycetous 
Fungi. 
The Ricciacece, Marchantiacece, and Jungermanniacecc w^ere next 
brought under notice. In these orders, organs which appear to be 
equivalent to stamens and pistils were joointed out, as well as cer- 
tain bodies which might be reckoned as buds or gemmae. The pre- 
sence of phytozoa with cilia and of spiral fibres or elaters was also 
remarked. 
The Equisetacca w'ere looked upon as in many respects allied to 
the last-mentioned orders, especially in developing spores with spiral 
filaments. 
The true Mosses were tiien alluded to, and in them the author 
believed that reproductive organs have been demonstrated in the 
antheridia with their granular contents and phytozoa, and the thecdc 
or sporangia with their spores. He detailed the various species in 
which phytozoa had been detected by Thuret, Brongniart, Meyen, 
and Unger, pointed out the monoecious, dioecious, polygamous, and 
