55ö Floristik und Systematik der Phanerogamen. 



simillima sed ab ea pedicellis quam folia brevioribus floribus minoribus 

 et staminibus 10 recedit), Plate 2781 : Thiseltonia Dyeri Hemsl. nov. gen. 

 et spec. (ex affinitate Pithocarpae, sed involucri bracteis Omnibus latis 

 tenuissimis glabris et antheris ecaudatis diversum), Plate 2782: Verreauxia 

 Dyeri E. Pritzel nov. spec. (ex affinitate V. Reinwardtii Benth. sed to- 

 mento villosiore flavescente cinereo et multo copiosiore, et in foliis et 

 in infiorescentia calycibusque diversa), Plate 2783: Microcorys Dielsii 

 Hemsl. nov. spec. (a M. barbata foliis complicatis et floribus multo ma- 

 joribus differt), Plate 2784: Llndera aroinatica ßrandis nov. spec. (L. 

 assamicae Kurz et L. citriodorae Hemsl., affinis, ab illa antheris 4-locu- 

 laribus, ab hac foliis perennantibus distincta), Plate 2786: Swietenia Ma- 

 hagoni Jacq. var. praecociflora Hemsl., Plate 2789: Grisollea Thomassettii 

 Hemsl. spec. nov. (a G. myrianthea Baill. foliis majoribus saepius ob- 

 longis venis primariis lateralibus paucioribus, infiorescentia mascula 

 multo minore recedit), Plate 21^2: Jiisticia patentiflora Hemsl. spec. nov. 

 {ex affinitate /. vasciilosae Wall.^ et illi simillima, differt imprimis flori- 

 bus patentibus corollae labio superiore breviore rotundato. 



F. E. Fritsch. 



"Wright, H., TheGenus Diospyros inCeylon: its morpho- 

 !ogy, anatomy and taxonomy. Parts I and II. 

 (Annais oi the Royal Botanic Gardens, Peradeniya, Ceylon. 

 Vol. II. Parts I and II. January and August. 1904. p. 1 

 — 107 and 133—207 and Plates I— XX.) 



The first part of the paper (p. 1 — 106) contains a general statement 

 of, and a discussion on the various subjects investigated. The first 

 section is devoted to a consideration of the history of the genus, the 

 second to the distribution of the genus in Ceylon. The species are 

 either dry, wet or intermediate zone plants; seven species occur in dry 

 regions (35—70" of rain) the remaining thirteen beiong to the wet zone 

 (80—300" of rain), whilst in the intermediate zone (70-80' of rain) the 

 whole of the dry zone species (except D. Melanoxylon) but only two of 

 the wet zone species (D. Gardneri and D. sylvatica) are found. With 

 regard to the vegetative characters (sect. 3) the dry zone species attain 

 huge dimensions; in three species (D. Melanoxylon, D. insignis, D. oppo- 

 sitifolia) the phyllotaxy departs from the characteristic alternate type; 

 the pellucid venation is very characteristic. In the fourth section dealing 

 with the anatomy it is gratifying to find a careful treatment of the sub- 

 ject, including a detailed description of the tracheal and parenchymatous 

 Clements of the wood and data on the percentage composition of the secon- 

 dary xylem. The whole of the Ceylon species of Diospyros are cha- 

 racterised by a slow rate of cambial activity and rings of growth are as 

 a ruie inconspicuous. Ten pages are devoted to a discussion of the 

 timber, the durability of the same being due to the nature and percen- 

 tage number of the Clements comprising the wood, together with the 

 presence of coloured Contents partially or wholly filling the Clements. 

 The 5 th. section deals with the seedlings, where we find that „the length 

 of the hypocotyl and primary epicotyledonary axis, the phyllotaxy and 

 general morphology of the first formed leaves, together with the per- 

 sistence or dropping of the cotyledons, provide ample material for the 

 recognition of most Ceylon species oi Diospyros^. In every species the 

 number of traces per cotyledon is constant, either two or three; in the 

 former case the cotyledons are usually persistent, their traces are pro- 

 longed into the primary root and the epicotyledonary traces die away 

 imrnediately below the cotyledonary node; in the latter case the cotyle- 

 dons are as a rule detached and epicotyledonary development becomes 

 enhanced^ whilst the epicotyledonary traces are continued through the 

 hypocotyl into the primary root, and the median cotyledonary trace 

 aborts (except in D. pruriens). Lignification commences in the xylem 

 of the cotyledonary traces at the cotyledonary node. The reproductive 



