THE GARDENING WORLD. 
639 
June i, 1901. 
the School of Agriculture, near Algiers, and before 
that time was unknown. This must have been about 
seven years ago. It is thus described: ■ Lar t e 
nodulose or brain-like outgrowths develop near the 
apex of the root, and may consist of modified leaves 
or rootlets ; the tumours are fleshy, attached to the 
root by a short narrow neck, and in the substance 
are numerous cavities fil'ed with dark-coloured 
spores. The spores are su u g’obose, produced at the 
apex of a hypha,which bears a large vesicular swelling 
just below the spore.’ It can only be added that the 
name given to the fungus causing the tumour is that 
of Oedomyces leproides. Its relations are to a cer¬ 
tain degree with the Ustilagines, or smuts, but open 
to further investigation. It is impossible in the 
absence of fruit of any kind to affirm that the tumour 
under notice is the same as the Algerian specimens, 
although it seems probable. The production of 
spores may have been arrested by the climatic con¬ 
ditions, which are so different from what they would 
be in North Africa. The blackened spots and the 
plentiful mycelium would indicate the work < f a 
fungus pest. An opportunity presenting itself, I 
submitted the affected Beetroot to Mr. Massee, and 
he was equally interested with myself in its examin¬ 
ation, and together we consulted the authorities who 
had written on the subject, coming to the conclusion 
that it was very probable that our tumour was the 
same as the Algerian one, but only in its initial stage, 
assuming that it required a higher temperature for 
ts full development, His microscopical examination 
confirmed my own, that there was a profuse mycel¬ 
ium present, and that doubtless the tumour was the 
result of fungal parasitism. 
” The other object alluded to, as exhibited, was 
the young twigs and green leaves of Schinus Molle. 
The leaves proved to be perfectly sound and healthy, 
but attached to the twigs we found five or six small 
discoid fleshy bodies, about 2 millimetres in diameter, 
attached, like a button, by a small central shank. 
These excrescences were whitish at the circumfer¬ 
ence, roseate, and rather corrugated towards the 
centre. In substance they were soft and fleshy, 
easily cut with a penknife, and apparently solid. 
Under the microscope the cell structure was found 
to be that of the hQst plant, and there were no traces 
of mycelium. All the evidence seemed to indicate 
that these bodies were a kind of gall produced by the 
plant in consequence of some such irritation as that 
caused by the puncture of an insect. Unfortunately 
we could find no trace of egg, larva, or insect, but it 
is in that direction we believe further investigation 
Bhould be directed, and the plant should be watched 
for further developments. In both instances, there¬ 
fore, we were only partially successful, and shall at 
any time be glad to examine either in a more 
advanced stage, when, doubtless, we shall have to 
relegate the latter to the entomologist.” A unani¬ 
mous vote of thanks was accorded to Dr. Cooke for 
his interesting and valuable report. 
Daffodils monstrous.— Rev. W. Wilks showed 
a specimen of what ought to have been a large 
trumpet Daffodil, but the peduncle bore two flowers, 
of nearly the ordinary size of the wild Daffodil, 
instead of a single and large blossom. There was 
no fasciation. It was interesting as a reversion to 
the form and size of the Daffodil, in consequence of 
there being two flowers in place of one. Mr. W. 
Logan, of Hither Green, Lewisham, sent specimens 
which had the corona split up into segments, and 
more or less crested. One half of the trumpet was 
elongated, the other half abbreviated, possibly indi¬ 
cating a double parentage of N. poeticus with the 
Daftodil. In another case the leaf was sheathed, as 
occurs in Grasses; the flower had five perianth 
leaves, five stamens, and two carpels, due to a 
partial arrest of growth on one side of the flower. 
Ferns, crested. —Mr. Druery corrected an error 
in the last report, in that the Ferns he described 
were often crested to the third or fourth degree, but 
not fasciated. Mr. Henslow observed that Mr. 
Druery was perfectly correct. The term ''fascia¬ 
tion "was only applied by Linnaeus to stems, but 
as it is correlated with a continual branching of the 
fibro-vascular cords, Mr. Henslow classed it with 
several other phenomena of foliar organs, which are 
associated with a similar repeated chorisis of the 
cords, as, e.g., in crested sepals of the Rose, of the 
petals of Cyclamen, &c.; and Mr. Druery added the 
crested apices of Ferns, in none of which is there 
any necessary fasciation whatever. Dr. Masters 
criticised Mr. Henslow’s statement, which laid 
stress on the development of the fibro-vascular cords, 
as the cellular tissue precedes their formation. But 
this was a necessary feature, as the fibro-vascular 
cords could not exist unless they were clothed with 
parenchyma. As, however, their several branches 
ultimately entered the foliar organs of a multifold 
flower, he did not think the criticism bad weight. 
In fact, the development of cellular tissue and cords 
goes on simultaneously, the former continually pro¬ 
viding the material through which the cords may 
ramify, and often outstripping them, as in the 
margins of crested petals, into which the cords do 
not travel far enough to reach the actual margin 
itself. 
Violets, self-fertilising. —Mr. W. J. James, 
Woodside, Farnham Royal, Slough, sent some white 
Violets (Viola odorata) which produced capsules. 
As a rule the purple Violet sets no seed in this 
country, though it does in S. Europe, On examin¬ 
ation it was found that the flowers became self- 
fertilising, because the beak-like extremity of the 
style with its stigmatic orifice was not only strongly 
curved upwards (because the flower is inverted), 
instead of being at right angles with the style, but 
was completely included within the connivent con¬ 
nectives. The connectives were all wrapped round 
the style, preventing the escape of the pollen, which 
is then caught by the spoon-like, two lowermost con¬ 
nectives. The pollen falls directly on to the stig¬ 
matic orifice. The flower is thus perfectly adapted 
to secure self-fertilisation. The plants are also 
provided with the usual cleistogamous buds. In 
these there are five minute petals, five anthers all 
alike without tails, forming a star-like group upon 
the summit of the ovary. The stigma is short, 
truncated, and concealed beneath the anthers, the 
pollen of which enters the stigma without theanthers 
dehiscing by the tubes penetrating them along the 
lines of dehiscence in normal anthers. Mr. Henslow 
showed plants of the N. American species, V. cucul- 
lata, &c.,with cleistogamous buds, apparently indicat¬ 
ing the fact that these had become a specific charac¬ 
ter before a world-wide diffusion of the genus had 
taken place. 
"Kent” Water unsuitable for plants— Mr. 
E. Roberts, F.R.H.S., of Park Lodge, Eltham, 
writes as follows :—" Our water from the Kent 
Waterworks is not at all a fit food for our plants. I 
am in the habit of treating it thus. I first add 1 lb. 
caustic lime to 1000 gallons to neutralise the calcium 
carbonate, and then add 6 oz. amm. sulph., 6 oz. 
potassic nitrate, and 4 oz. amm. phosph. I shall be 
glad to know if this treatment can be improved upon, 
and if it is suitable for Orchids generally, including 
epiphytal.” Prof. A. H. Church, who undertook to 
examine the water, reports as follows:—"In refer¬ 
ence to Mr. Roberts’ letter, I should like to make a 
few remarks. I have looked up the older analyses 
of this water, because the official results do not now 
include determinations of sulphates and of calcium 
in its several salts. After adding the caustic lime 
(preferably after slaking, and in the form of cream), 
the whole bulk of treated water is (I presume) 
allowed to rest, that it may deposit the separated 
carbonate of lime. Then to the clear liquid the salts 
named should be added. I think the quantities 
named reasonable. Anyhow, the prepared water is 
a mild stimulant and general plant food. Owing to 
the partial removal of the lime salts, it ought not to 
spot the foliage with a white deposit. I should not 
like to say anything as to its peculiar suitability to 
Orchids, terrestrial or epiphytic, but I think its use 
cannot be injurious.” 
Odontoglossum crispum peloric.—Mr. T, 
Rochford sent a specimen in which the lateral 
petals were more or less crested and spotted like the 
lip. 
Gloxinias. —Specimens with internal latacorolla 
and external linear crests were exhibited by Mr. 
Houston. 
Hymenocallis sulphurea. — Mr. Worsdell 
showed this plant, being Dean Herbert’s hybrid. 
Seedling Lilies growing underground.—Mr. 
Worsdell referred to this subject, and added remarks 
upon the germination of certain monocotyledons 
without a cotyledon. Mr. Elwes said that he had 
observed how seeds of Mezereon and Lily seeds 
remained a long while—even three years—and then 
germinated. Cephalanthera rubra, he observed, was 
said to have germinated after some seventy years. 
Rev. C. Wolley-Dod remarked, with reference to 
this subject:—"In my garden the seed of Lilies 
often germinated, and the bulbs grew for three or 
four years without any visible growth aboveground. 
This statement has been very fairly questioned, 
and it was said that it could not be admitted as a 
fact of vegetable physiology without minute and 
particular details. I confess that I have never made 
careful and continuous observations in the matter, 
chiefly because I assumed that it was generally 
known and admitted. The particular Lily about 
which my impressions are very strong is L. mona- 
delphum. This species thrives particularly well in 
the heavy, retentive soil of my garden. I have been 
in the habit at any time during the last twenty-five 
years of taking a handful of the seed of this when 
ripe and throwing it on the surface and raking it in 
where there were two or three square yards of 
untenanted soil. At first I used to suppose that the 
seed perished, as no growth appeared above ground ; 
but on digging at the end of a year or two, bulbs 
were found from the size of a pea to that of a Hazel 
Nut, but it was not till the third or fourth year that 
above-ground growth, nearly ready to flower, or 
perhaps with one flower bud, appeared. The bulbs 
had not only increased in size, but had dived several 
inches beneath the surface. As it appears that this 
habit is doubted by competent botanists, it would be 
well to have it settled by some observer more likely 
to see the experiment through than I am, and I 
shall have much pleasure, next August, in distribut¬ 
ing packets of seed to any amateurs who will make 
the trial, and at the end of four years announce the 
result of their observations.” Some years ago the 
question came before the Scientific Committee as to 
the possibility of fully developed bulbs increasing in 
size below the soil without having any external 
stem or foliage. It was maintained by some growers 
that such was really the case. 
Hybrid Carnations. —Mr. Douglas exhibited 
flowers of Lady Buxton Carnation x Sweet William 
(male) ; also the latter x Uriah Pike (crimson) Carna¬ 
tion ; also Duchess of Fife (rose) x Sweet Williams. 
They were very intermediate in character, with no 
scent, but having more of the Sweet William foliage, 
and with flowers showing a tendency to cluster. 
Cattleya lawrenceana, malformed. —Mr. 
O’Brien showed a flower devoid of a labellum, also 
C. Mendelii, which often comes deformed, and more 
or less constantly so', in certain areas. Mr. Douglas 
observed that he had a plant with fifteen flowers 
dimerous or lipless, &c. 
Crinum sp. — Mr. Elwes exhibited plants of 
Crinum which flowered after fifteen years. They 
came from near Lake Nyassa.'and it was doubtful as 
to their specific differences from C. capense, as there 
was great variability from the seeds. C. crassifolium 
(according to Dutch growers) appeared to be the 
same as C. petiolatum from the Niger, remarkable 
for its globular bulb, and by continuously flower¬ 
ing. 
Plants from Cambridge Botanio Gardens.— 
Mr. Lynch exhibited the following interesting 
plants :—Dimorphotheca fruticosa, only lately intro¬ 
duced to Cambridge from S. Africa ; Lathraea 
clandestina, with large purple flowers, which Mr. 
Lynch has succeeded in establishing on the roots of 
Willows, as well as our native L. squamaria on 
Poplars; Hippeastrum aulicum, one of the species 
of the original hybrids of the modern so-called 
" Amaryllis,” remark-able for the great obliquity of 
the perianth leaves ; Cheiranthus mutabilis, the true 
plant, and not the same as that usually grown under 
this name, it is not quite hardy. Prof. Church 
remarked that specimens grown at Kew show a 
larger range of colours than those of the Cambridge 
plants, and that the peculiar nature of the colouring 
matters is due to changes in the neutrality, alkalinity, 
-or acidity of the sap. Acer carpinifolium.—This is 
•one of the several Japanese species, having leaves 
without lobes, the blade closely resembling that of 
the Hornbeam. Helwingia japonica.-—The foliage 
is remarkable for having the peduncles adherent to 
the petiole (as is that of the Lime to the bract), so 
that they are apparently borne by the leaf, and 
resemble superficially Ruscus aculeatus. Citrus 
trifoliata, a very spinescent species, requires only 
a very slight protection. Dr. Masters observed that 
it was used in Florida as the stock for Oranges, so 
that they could withstand frost. Hymenanthera 
crassifolia, a shrub both in flower and fruit, of the 
family Violarieae. It is a native of New Zealand. 
Hibbertia scandens, perhaps the largest flowering 
species, somewhat resembling Hypericum calycinum, 
while H. Readi bore the smallest flowers ; probably 
natives of Australia. Stigmaphyllon ciliatum, a 
handsome, yellow flowered Malpighiad, Macleania 
insignis, of the order Vacciniaceae, a very uncommon 
plant, figured from the Cambridge plant in ' Bot, 
Mag,” t. 7694 (1900). A unanimous vote of thanks 
was accorded to Mr. Lynch for the above exhibi¬ 
tion. 
