190 BOTANICAL INFOUMATION. 



This singular document concludes with a catalogue of Latin and En- 

 glish names, numbering 213 species of Casuarluce, "several," as the 

 author tells us, "includlug other species," all new, and all named 

 and described by Mr. Swaiasou " without a single book to refer to" ! 



Botanical News from Italy, 



Florence, April 15. 



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The second part of Professor De Notaris' * Agrostographlse xEgyp- 

 tiacEC Fragmenta' has appeared; fifty-four species are therein described 

 and figured, the greater number of them being considered as new, A 

 new genus, Eriocliceta^ is established among the Tanicece. The genus 

 Beckera^ Nees, non Fresen., is given under the name of Beckeropsis. 



Professor Joseph Bertoloni has published a third Dissertation on the 

 plants of the coast of Mozambique. After noticing the state of agri- 

 culture in that country, he gives descriptions and figures of three me- 

 dicinal plants, viz. Lepipogon ohovatum^ Bert, (a new genus of Bor^agi- 

 nere)^ Cassia acutifoUa^ Delill., and CJdhaca saltdaris^ Bert, 



In the last number of the '"Rendiconto dell' Accaderaia dcUc Scienze, 

 of Naples, M. Gasparrini has made known the results of his observa- 

 tions on the disease of the Tomato {Lycopersicum escitlentum. Mill.). 

 It made its appearance together with the potato-disease, and is, it would 

 seem, also accompanied by the presence of the Botrytu infestans. 



Under the title of 'Plora Melitensis/ M. Grech-Delicata has pub- 

 lished a catalogue of the phEenogamous plants, 716 in number, which 

 are found wild in Malta, To the scientific name of each plant are added 

 the place where it grows, the time in which it flowers, the Maltese 

 vernacular name, and sometimes a synonym. — Bonplandia. 



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In the letters we are publishing from Mr. Spruce, relating to his Ex- 



* The Fodostemacea are a famdly little known, except to the students of tropical 

 botany. They abound especially upon rocks in the falls and rapids of South America, 

 many of them having a good deal the appearance of some Marchantia or Junger- 

 mannicey others of green Alyc^. The most delicious fish are said to fatten upon them ; 

 cattle frequent the rocky beds of the streams in the dry season, and feed* upon 

 species of the genus Marathntm^ according to Mr. Pxirdie ; and Sir Robert Schora- 

 burgk relates the fact of a considerable quautity of salt being obtained from the 

 ashes of a species of Lacis {Mourera, Tul.). M. Tulasne has admirably illustrated 

 the genera and species of this remarkable family of plants, whose place in the sys- 

 tem is still very dubious, in his work euiiilcd ' Monograpliia Podostcmaccai'i 



um 



