348 NOTICES OF BOOKS. 



Malvaceae 



curious concretions of carbonate of lime are called which are formed 

 in the cells of the epidermis, etc., and are suspended by pedicels of cel- 

 lulose, and which abound in the Order. The foliage, stipulation, inflo- 

 rescence, and organs of reproduction follow. 



Under the head of Affinities, Dr. Weddell arrives at the conclusion 

 that Urticea are undoubtedly most closely related to Tiliacece, which lat- 

 ter, he says, differ remarkably by the following characters only, viz. the 

 non-persistent calyx, and the stamens always double the number of 

 sepals or more. This result may be arrived at indirectly thus — Tiliacece, 



Uupho?-biacea>, A?itidesmece, Celtidea, Ulmacea, Urticea, as 

 will perhaps be generally admitted by systematists ; but the direct pas- 

 sage of Tiliacea to TJrticea appears paradoxical, at least at first sight. 



The subject of Geographical Distribution occupies another section, 

 and its results are well tabulated at the end of the work. From this it 

 appears that only 8 species are common to the Old and New Worlds ; 

 that 289 are natives of the former, and 187 of the latter ; that the Ma- 

 layan Peninsula and Archipelago present the greatest assemblage of 

 species, India an equal number, and Mexico and the West Indies about 

 the same, these countries together possessing almost two-thirds of the 

 known species. In the next rank come Madagascar and the proximate 

 African Islands, Peru and Bolivia, New Granada and Ecuador; the 

 other regions fall far below these. Their relatively greater abundance 

 in the islands than in the continents is indicated, and suggests the hy- 

 pothesis of a double focus of radiation in distribution, one in the Indian 

 Archipelago, the other in the West Indies. Under Properties and 

 Uses we find it stated that " urtication," or blistering with Nettles, is 

 still employed, where sudden irritation is required, both by civilized 

 people and still more by savages. Amongst the most important spe- 



cies, as yielding fibre, are 



& 



Laportea Canadensis, Girarditiia heterophylla, Pipturus propinquus, 

 Maoutia Puya, and, above all, the Bcehmeria nivea. The leaves of the 

 common Nettle have also been used for polishing mirrors ; no doubt, 

 Dr. Weddell remarks, because of the presence of the cystoliths, to 

 which concretions may also possibly be attributed, he thinks, the 

 real or supposed medicinal qualities of the Nettle and Pellitory. 



In the descriptive part the tribes, genera, and species are all fully 

 and carefully described in good and clear botanical language j a con- 

 spectus of the tribes prefaces the descriptions of them, and the same of 

 the genera; the specific characters are of reasonable length, and longer 



