Repertorium sperierum novarum 
regni vegetabilis 
aurtore 
F. Fedde 
o 291/295 ` E : XL Band ` T 15. Dezember 1912 
LX. A Contribution to our knowledge of the Genus 
Agathosma. 
By R. A. Dümmer, Kew. 
(Originalarbeit.) 
Over fifty years have elapsed since Sonder’s account of the Ru- 
taceous genus Agathosma (Fl. Cap. I, pp. 399—439) and during that time 
a considerable bulk of undetermined material has collected, which has 
suggested the expediency of the present treatise. This, though primarily 
descriptive, nevertheless includes supplementary information relative 
of previously described species, as well as collector's numbers not cited 
in the Flora, so as to facilitate the elaboration of a subsequent mono- 
graph of the group. Sonder’s sections of the genus are fairly well 
conceived!), with the exception of § Capitato-racemosae, which | suggest 
be deleted and its monotype transferred to the § Euagathosmae; simi- 
larly to emphasise the utility of § Barosmopelalae, A. elegans Cham., A. 
marifolia Eckl. and Zeyh. and A. Gillivrayi Sond. of the § Euagathosmae 
may be included in it. 
The Agathosmas are essentially South African, and are confined 
morever more or less to the coastal belt of Cape Colony, extending on 
the west coast into Little Namaqualand and on the south, eastwards to 
Kentani, their greatest concentration being, like the Bruniaceae, in the 
South-Western Region. Of the hundred species described by Sonder, 
Kew is in possession of approximately 75 per cent, which has thus con- 
siderably facilitated the work of comparison and identification; the material 
at the British Museum is scarcely so rich in point of numbers, never- 
theless contains several of Niven's coiypes, and of Bowies, Rox- 
burgh, Banks and Solander's collections. To the authorities of these 
institutions, I beg to acknowledge my indebtedness for the privilege of 
being permitted to examine the material and the literature appertaining 
to the group; my thanks are also due to Dr. D. Jackson, Secretary of 
the Linnean Society for allowing me access to Linne's specimens of the 
genus, of which I have thought fit to add a list of the species containe 
in his Herberium. 
1) Though well conceived, their distinctions are not comparatively defined. 
Repertorium specierum novarum. XI. oi 
