12 
Mr John Sim then read a paper entitled “The 
Exotic Plants Naturalised in Perthshire. Mr Sim 
said :— 
The Flora of Perth, rich and rare, is also remark¬ 
able for the occurrence of many plants, not only of 
unfrequent appearance in Britain, but seldom if ever 
met with elsewhere in our country. These plants, 
to which we shall devote a few remarks, are natives 
of other countries, and have never by botanists been 
considered indigenous to the British isles, though in 
most instances, the time and manner of their intro¬ 
duction is involved in obscurity. We shall go over 
them alphabetically, point out their stations in this 
neighbourhood, and their habitation in other lands. 
The first wFich claims our notice is Anacharis 
Alsinastrum, a water plant, which was first observed 
about twenty years ago in England. From being a 
rarity it rapidly became a pest, threatening to block 
up the canals and water courses to such a degree as 
to impede the navigation. It is now Tvddely and ex¬ 
tensively dispersed over Britain, and was first de¬ 
tected here several years since by Dr Buchanan 
White, our President, who found it growing in a pool 
near the junction of the Almond and Tay. Within 
the last two or three years it has multiplied prodi¬ 
giously, covering the bottom of the river opposite 
Perth with a dense carpet of sombre green. This 
plant is indigenous to North America, occurring 
under the same circumstances as in our own country. 
2. Aremoiiia agvimonoides was detected in this 
neighbourhood, about 12 years ago, by a gardener at 
Scone Palace. It occurs in two or three places near 
to Kinfauns, near the confiuence of the Almond Vvdth 
the Tay, and likewise in the wood near to Scone 
Palace. It is indigenous to Eastern Europe, being 
found in moist woods and among bushes in Italy and 
Carniola. It belongs to a sub-order of the order 
Bosacese or Rose family, and is in close aflinity with 
our common agrimony, and bears considerable 
resemblance to Geum urhanum, or common avens. 
3. 4. and 5. Three species of Aster fringe the 
margin of our river near Perth—viz.. Aster prenan- 
tJioideSy A, jouniceus^ and A. saHcifolius, all natives 
