in July 1829, and being kindly sent by Colonel Lindesay, were received at the Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, twelve months afterwards. Several plants flowered freely in the greenhouse in May 1832. They form a handsome addition to the species previously in cultivation. There is reason to believe that the seeds will ripen. Rulingia corylifolia. R. corylifolia, foliis ovato-deltoideis, (subcordatis, basi lobatis supra hispidis, subtus hirsuto-tomentosis; stipulis ovato acuminatis; corymbis oppositifoliis; filamentis antheriferis simplicibus, sterilibus ovato-lanceolatis alternantibus. DESCRIPTION.Shrub branched from the base of the stem, branches slightly flexuose, tomentoso-villous, and slightly viscid. Leaves (2 inches long, 2 inches broad) ovato-deltoid, slightly cordate, slightly lobed at the base, serrato-crenate, rugose, pubescent on both sides, but much more considerably behind, where also they are paler, bright green above, and, when fading, becoming red, being very prominent behind; petioles slightly channelled above, villous, much shorter than the leaves, bistipulate. Stipula opposite, distinct from the petiole, ovate, acuminate, villous, and with long ciliæ. Corymbs collected near the apices of the branches, densely covered with white hairs in its primary and subsequent divisions, each division having on the outside a lanceolate bractea. Flowers pedicellate, white. Calyx 5-phyllous; phylla cordate, villous both within and without, but much more harshly without, somewhat reflected in their sides, and forming a prominent edge where they meet each other. Petals pubescent, much smaller than the calyx segments, concave, gibbous at their base, their sides formed into two blunt parallel wings, which project towards the axis of the flower, apex extended into a blunt linear appendage, at first curved towards the axis, but afterwards bent back, and passing out between the segments of the calyx. Stamens 5 (perfect), immediately within the petals, and alternating with the segments of the calyx, shorter than the petals, and included within their folds, alternating on the same urceolate border with, and somewhat shorter than, ovato-lanceolate scales (abortive stamens), which are hairy on the outside, smooth within; filaments glabrous; anthers short, bilocular, bursting along the sides. Pollen yellow, granules round. Stigmata cohering to each other, small, capitate, colourless, shining. Styles 5, glabrous, in contact in the centre of the flower, scarcely longer than the stamens. Germen 5-lobed; in its early stages lobes conical and a little rough, afterwards rounded, green, depressed in the centre, and densely covered with stellate pubescence, 5-locular, dissepiments from the edges of the valves, their two layers afterwards separating. Ovules two in each loculament, with a central ridge of the valve between them, both attached to the central column below its middle. Pubescence every where on the plant stellate, except from abortion, when, as on the upper surface of the leaves, it often appears single. This plant was received last year by Mr Neill at Canonmills, and in the Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, from Mr Knight on the King's Road; and both with Mr Neill and us, it flowered freely in the greenhouse in May last. I am indebted to my acute friend Dr Hooker for many important references regarding this genus and its allies, which led me to investigate its structure much more closely than I otherwise would, and prevented my committing some mistakes. Stylidium hirsutum. S. hirsutum; scapo hirsuto villis acutis; racemo subsimplici; calycis labia (-) partita; capsula ventricosa ovata; foliis linearibus, basi attenuatis, margine parum recurvis, squamis scariosis distinguantibus interioribusque acuminatis.Br. Stylidium hirsutum, Br. Prodr. Flor. Nov. Holland. 568.-Spreng. Sp. Plant. 3. 747. DESCRIPTION.-Root of strong, hard, branching fibres. Leaves (6 inches long) all radical, linear, glabrous, firm in their texture, edges revolute, attenuated at the base, interspersed with scariose glabrous scales, which become larger towards the innermost, these being terminated with a point resembling the leaves, but shorter. Scape (9 inches high) erect, simple, rather longer than the leaves, covered, especially at the base, with long spreading colourless acute (not glandular) hairs, smoother upwards. Raceme (1 inch long) spicate, the uppermost flowers expanding first, each rising from the axil of a lanceolate green bractea, which is covered with hairs similar to those on the scape. Pedicels hairy, half the length of the primary bracteæ, and having secondary lateral bracteæ. Calyx -partite; tube very hairy, having both pointed hairs and others which are shorter and glandular; segments connivent, blunt, having glandular hairs only, the two outer the largest and broadest. Corolla purplishrose coloured, yellow in the throat, as well as the calyx covered on the outside with glandular pubescence, the four larger segments nearly equal, spreading, flat, channelled in the centre, and slightly crisped on the edges, the two next the labellum rather the narrowest, and having each one erect, ovate, entire tooth at its base, of similar colour with the rest of the corolla, the two others green at their base on the outside, and furrowed in the throat, the groove having prominent, erect, pubescent edges; labellum deflected from the inside of the calyx between the lips, small, ovate, acute, yellow, with a purple crisped and crenate edge, its appendices blunt spreading and much shorter than itself; tube pale yellow, twisted, equal to the longest segments of the calyx, the whole of the inside and the upper surface of the limb presenting, under the microscope, a beautiful crystalline appearance. Column linear, flat, equal in length to the limb, dark red in front, yellow behind, glabrous, very ir. ritable, bordered at its lower part. Anthers leaden-coloured, pollen grauules lilac, minute, ovate. Stigma of dull green colour, oblong, glandular surface crystalline. Germen ovate, bilocular, dissepiment imperfect above. Ovules very numerous, attached to a central receptacle, awanting in the lower part of the dissepiment. This species is new in cultivation, and the flowers are larger than any in our gardens. I owe to the late Mr Fraser, colonial botanist, a native specimen collected at King George's Sound, on the south coast of New Holland; and, from seed picked off one sent at the same time to Mr Macnab, the plant described was raised. It flowered in the greenhouse of the Royal Botanic Garden in May, and will continue to bear flowers during the early part of June. Symphitum Caucasicum. S. Caucasicum; caule ramoso, inferne hirsuto, superne glutinoso; foliis ovato-lanceolatis, base attenuatis, semidecurrentibus, hirsutis; calycibus obtusis. Symphitum Caucasicum, Marsch. Bieb. Fl. Tauric. Caucas. 1. 128.—Sprengel, System. Veget. 1. 563. DESCRIPTION. Stem (2 feet high) hirsute near the bottom, higher up pubescent and viscous, slightly winged, flexuose, branched. Leaves ovatolanceolate, hirsute on both sides, but less harshly on the upper, and there when young subviscid, half decurrent, the lower attenuated at the base, the upper pair oblique, sessile and alternate. Spikes terminal, geminate, many-flowered, secund and involute, common peduncle and pedicels glanduloso-pubescent, Calyx angled, the angles and blunt teeth ciliated, when in fruit distichous. Corolla at first red-purple, but loses this colour as soon as it expands, and acquires a lively azure hue; tube longer than the calyx, sparingly and minutely pubescent on the outside, having a white fleshy narrow edge projecting internally from its base over the disk; teeth of the limb blunt and revolute in their edges; teeth of the throat erect, blunt, and having short crystalline cilia on their edges. Stamens included, about as long as the teeth; filaments purplish; anthers yellow, rather shorter than the free portion of the filaments, bifid at both extremities. Pistil rather longer than the stamens; stigma bilobular, rounded; style slightly tapered, glabrous, lilac; germen light yellowish-green, seated on a white disk. The unripe achenia are rough, irregularly depressed over their surface, and each is raised on a sand-glass shaped portion of the disk, the upper lobe of which projects from its lower side a simple row of short dependent subulate hairs. The seeds of this plant were received at the Royal Botanic Garden, from Dr Fischer, under the name adopted, in 1830, and flowered for the first time in May 1832 The profusion of lively coloured flowers in this species, which is less deformed by coarseness of herbage than others, makes it one of the most desirable for cultivation. Tropaeolum tricolorum. T. tricolorum; caule tenuissimo scandente ramose, foliis peltatisectis; segmentis 6-7 oblongis obovatisve integris basi attenuatis, petiolis cirrhosis, petalis unguiculatis calyce persistente subclauso parum longioribus obtusis integerrimis.-Sweet. Tropaeolum tricolorum, Sweet's British Flower Garden, 270. DESCRIPTION.-Root tuberous. Stem filiform, greatly branched, branches entangled, purple, shining. Leaves alternate, petioled, palmato-digitate, round, (8 lines across) 6-lobed, soft, slightly villous, especially below where paler, veined, lobes unequal, obovato-elliptical, generally only one of them mucronate; petiole (1 inch long) filiform, resembling the branches. Peduncles (above 2 inches long) solitary, opposite to the leaves, pendent, capillary, slightly thickened upwards. Calyx of bright vermilion colour, pentagonal, 5-cleft, the segments blunt, mucronulate, on the outside tipped as well as the spur with purple, on the inside tipped with green, whole inner surface glandular; spur erect, about one-third of the length of the peduncle, awl-shaped, nectariferous. Petals 5 (3 lines long), yellow, subexserted, inserted below the incisures of the calyx, obcordatospathulate, unguiculate, dilated at the base over a slightly villous pit. Stamens 8, included; filaments glabrous, colourless, dilated at the base, and having on the outside of the insertion of each a pit similar to that at the base of the petals; anthers yellow, cernuous. Germen glabrous, 3-lobed, lobes keeled. Style glabrous, shorter than the stamens, grooved on three sides, 3-toothed at the top, one of the teeth larger than the others, and grooved. We received this plant from Mr Anderson of the Apothecaries' Garden, Chelsea. It produced its truly splendid flowers in the greenhouse of the Botanic Garden in March and April. Celestial Phenomena from July 1. to October 1. 1832, calculated for the Meridian of Edinburgh, Mean Time. GEORGE INNES, Astronomical Calculator, Aberdeen. By Mr The times are inserted according to the Civil reckoning, the day beginning at midnight |