JOHN GIBBS: AN ESSEX BOTANIST. 93
Spathulate leaves in a rosulate cluster
Every ramification surround;
And, in the middle, about which they muster,
A simple peduncle is commonly found.
The stamens are called syngenesious truly,
Because of the fact that their anthers cohere;
The style passes through them, and on it will duly
A couple of stigmatic branches appear.
The foundation of the Essex Field Club, in January 1880,
was a matter of keen satisfaction to Gibbs and revived his old
interest in his favourite study. He joined it at once as an
Original Member; and, to its second Ordinary Meeting, held
on 20th March, he contributed a paper on "An abnormal Form
of Cardamine pratensis observed near Chelmsford."2 Other
contributions to its publications soon followed:—
The Trimorphism of Lythrum salicaria, (Proc, ii., p. 1: 1882).
Plants growing near Chelmsford (id., ii., p. 1).
Claytonia perfoliata at Danbury (id., 11. p. li).
Definite Inflorescences (id., iii., p. vi.: 1884).
Inflorescence of Vinca minor (id., iii., pp. vi-vii).
Seedlings of Ranunculus ficaria (id., ni., p. xiii).
The Inflorescence of Acer (id., iii., p. xiv).
Forms of Inflorescences (id., iii., pp. lxxxvii-xci).
Abnormal Wallflower & Polyanthus (id., iv., pp. xi-xii : 1886).
Compound Spike of Plantago (Essex Nat., ii., p. 96: 1888).
Synanthic Flowers of Campanula medium (id., ni., p. 168: 1889).
Development of Buds (id., vi., p. 47: 1892).
The last on the list was, in all probability, Gibbs' final contri-
bution to botanical literature.
The stimulus above mentioned also brought Gibbs into
touch with Dr. J. E. Taylor, of Ipswich, then editing Science
Gossip, to which Gibbs contributed, during 1881, two articles
of some value—"On Terminal and Sub-terminal Buds,"3
and "On Accessory Buds."4
About this time, too (but the exact date I cannot ascertain),
Gibbs published a small pamphlet entitled The Symmetry of
Flowers (Chelmsford, John Button, 19 pp., fcp. 8vo., price 4d.).
It dealt in an elaborate, though by no means interesting,
manner with the symmetry of floral structure.
In or about 1883, Gibbs published a pamphlet entitled Natural
Selection Incompatible with Atheism: A Refutation of some of
the Errors of Dr. E. B. Aveling (Chelmsford: John Dutton,
34pp., fcp. 8vo., price sixpence). This was written avowedly
2 See Proc., i.. p.vi. and Trans., i., pp. 64-66 (1881).
3 Op. cit., xvii., pp. 38-39.
4 Op. cit., xvii,. pp. 254-255.