Proceedings of the Linnean Society of London - University Library

6 PROCEEDINGS OF THE
February oth, 1903.
Prof. Sydney H. Vines, F.E.S., President, in the Chair.
The Minutes of the General and Special Meetings held on the
15th January were read and confirmed.
Keferring to t-Q exhibition on 4th December, 1902, by Rev. John
Gerard, of a monstrous form of Oeum rivale, Mr. B. Daydon
Jackson exhibited specimens in further illustration of median proliferation,
from the herbarium of Sir James Edward Smith, and the
British collection in the possession of the Society. He also stated
that the proliferous form was mentioned by C. Merrett, in his
'Pinax,' 1667, p. 22, as occurring "at Brearcliff, in a wood of
Mr. Brearcliif, below his house," and by John Ray, in his ' Synopsis,'
1690, p. 89, as Carijophyllatamjloreamplopurjyureo quadruplici ant
quintuplici serie petalorum (jbservavit D. Lawson prope Strickland
magnum in Com. AVestmorland." This locahty is mentioned by
J. Petiver in his ' English Plants,' tab. 40. fig. 4, in 1713, when
figuring the plant as " Childing Avens." Later authors, as Relhan
in his 'Elora Cantabrigiensis,' 1785, p. 200 ; ed. 3, 1820, p. 207 ;
and Withering's 'Arrangement,' ed. 2, 1787, p. 538; ed. 3, 1796,
vol. ii. p. 478, refer to this form ; the latter author also states
that " when cultivated in a dry soil, the flowers are apt to become
double or proliferous," op. cit. p. 478.
Mr. C. H. Weight, A..L.S., on behalf of Sir W. T. Thiselton-
Dyer, K.C.M.G., exhibited amphicarpic fruit in specimens of
(1) Cardamine cJienopodifolia, Pers. ; (2) TrifoUum ptolymorplmm,
Poir. ; and (3) Vicia amphiccupa^ Dorth.
The President and Professor J. B. Farmer added some remarks,
to which Mr. Wright replied.
Mr. H. E. H. Smedlby, F.L.S., exhibited twelve wax models of
longitudinal and transverse sections of the following seeds :
Stephanospermum al-enioides, Pachytesta from the French Permo-
Carboniferous Formation, Lagenostoma from the English Coal-
Measures, with the recent Torreya and Zamia, in illustration of
Prof. Oliver's paper.
The following paper was read :
• On Stephanospermum^ Brongn., a Genus of Fossil Gymnospermatous
Seeds." By Prof. F. W. Ohver, F.L.S.
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February 19th, 1903.
Prof. Sydney H. Vines, F.E.S., President, in the Chair.
The Minutes of the last Meeting were read and confirmed.
Mr. John Clayton, of Bradford, presented a set of thirtytwo
photographs to illustrate the celebrated Cowthorpe Oak, near
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