CEDRON OF THE MAGDALENA. 377 
while their proportion to those of a former world is exceedingly differ- 
ent. We must not, however, exclusively depend on numerical propor- 
tions, but also take into account which are the groupes that predominate, 
and chiefly characterize the flora of the Alps, developing themselves 
there in the greatest variety of forms. We shall accordingly find that 
Ranunculaceous, Rosaceous, Saxifrageous, and Cruciferous plants con- 
stitute the largest and most marked forms, while at the same time they 
belong to the most developed families; and that the next in rank are 
Primulacee and Gentianee, which may also be considered as very pre- 
valent groupes. But none of the apetalous pentamerous, or the tri- 
merous families are of any note on the Alps, much less are they here 
of any peculiar form. The alpine plants belonging to these groupes 
are representatives of ordinary German forms. 
Errata in Professor Schouw's Memoir, in No. 23 (November 1850) :—In page 
322, line 10, for tides, read currents ; page 323, last line, Mona refers to the island 
of Moen, to the southward of Zealand; page 326, line 4 from bottom, for New 
Holland, read Holland. 
: (To be continued.) 
| Description and Figure of the CepRoN of the Magdalena River (SIMABA 
| CEDRON, Planch.) ; by Sir W. J. Hooxer, D.C.L., F.R., A., and L.S. 
d Tas. XI. 
Of late, many inquiries have been made by medical gentlemen re- 
speeting a seed, or rather the cotyledons of the seed, of a plant well 
known in New Grenada to the natives under the name of “ Cedron,” 
and long celebrated there for its powerful medicinal properties. By 
Whom it was first brought into notice in Europe, I am not aware; but 
my earliest information respecting it was derived from Mr. Wm. Purdie, 
late botanical Collector for the Royal Gardens of Kew, and now Curator 
of the Botanic Garden of Trinidad. At Bogotà Mr. Purdie had made the 
acquaintance of Dr. Cespédes, an intelligent physician of the country, 
Who directed his attention to the plant in question, and who forwarded 
to me a drawing, with very fair analysis of the flowers and fruit, which 
had been some time in his possession, and is inscribed —** The Cedron, dy 
Mutis: it has probably some inaccuracies." Tn his future journeyings, 
Mr. Purdie did not fail to search for the plant in its native woods, and 
on his way to the province of Antioquia, near the Magdalena, he wrote 
word, July 1846 :—“ I have had the good fortune to detect the cele- 
brated Cedron, a small tree, with the habit of the Jamaica Mountain- 
VOL. Yr : 3c 
