Floristik u. Systematik der Phanerogamen. — Palaeontologie. 18^ 



Orchiciaceae which pass the dry summer by means of Underground 

 storage organs are also important Orders ; Bobartiu spathacea (Iri- 

 daceae) has tough filiform leaves adapted for drought and the struc- 

 ture of these is shown by two figures. In regard to indigenous 

 annuals, the existence of which has been doubted, Dr. Bolus has 

 conipiled a list of 200 species. The derivation of the Cape Flora 

 is also discussed. The more recent introduction of European trees 

 (Qu ereil s, and Piniis) and Australian (Eucalyptus, Grevillea etc.} 

 is also regarded as likely to influence the existing flora. 



II. Natal and the Transvaal. (V. p. 1 — 9.) Higher tempe- 

 rature and rainfall are accompanied in this part by a littoral forest 

 Zone with timber trees (Podocarpus, Ocotea, Olea), palms, tree ferns, 

 aerial orchids, and a coast Mangrove swamp. In passing towards- 

 the central plateau, the trees become confined to the Valleys. The 

 drier uplands are the grass steppe of the Veld, which at the time 

 of the visit of the British Association presented the monotonous 

 appearance characteristic of the dry season. The extremely dry 

 character of the High Veld is shewn by an excellent photograph of 

 Aloes on Hlangwane Hill, Colenso. The Low or Bush Veld 

 was reached on crossing the Magaliesberg on the way to Pre- 

 toria; this is grassland with scattered trees. The „ Wonderboom " 

 is illustrated by two photographs, and other characteristic plants are 

 described. 



III. Rhodesia and the Victoria Falls. (V. p. 93—96.) 

 North of Bulawayo^ a more abundant rainfall is indicated by the 

 larger and more numerous trees, and the savannah of the Bush Veld 

 gives way to an open woodland — the Teak Forest — the trees 

 are principally Leguminosae, and the Baobab (Adansonia) became 

 more abundant on approaching the Zambesi. . The influence of 

 this river and the Victoria Falls is very marked. Numerous 

 herbaceous plants in active Vegetation and in flower, with trees and 

 shrubs in füll foliage, present a marked contrast to the dry forests 

 just passed through. The luxuriant evergreen trees of the „Rain- 

 forest" of the Zambesi gorges, with semi-tropical epiphytes and 

 lianes, wet places with grasses, sedges, Utricularia etc., and aquatic 

 plants in the river complete the tale. W. G. Smith (Leeds). 



Ward, Lester F., Status of the Mesozoic Floras of the 

 United States. (Second Paper, with the coiiaboration of 

 William Fontaine, Arthur Bibbins and G. R. Wieland. 

 Ü. S. Geol. Surv., Monograph XLVIII, 1905. Part 1, Text. 616 pp. 

 Part II, Plates I— CXIX. 4".) 



This valuable contribution to the Palaeobotany of North. 

 America, and particularly of the United States, appears as 

 a sequel to an earlier publication on the Older Mesozoic*), and forms 

 the second in a series of which the third is yet to appear. Like 

 the previous publication, the present one deals with the floras of 

 widely separated localities and with a somewhat similar ränge of 

 horizons. It is divided into three parts: Part 1 deals with the 

 Triassic Flora as presented by the Older Mesozoic of Arizona; 

 Part II discusses the Jurassic Flora of Oregon, Wyoming and the 

 Black Hills, as well as the transition floras of Alaska, 



*) U. S. Geol. Surv. XX. Part 11. 1S98— 1899. p. 215-430. pl. XXI 

 -CLXII. 



