428 'SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



arrangement of the Angiosperms follows, with some modifications, that 

 of Engler, which in turn is based on that of Eichler. In the account 

 of the Gyrnnosperins an attempt has been made to arrange the fossil 

 and recent forms in one system. A general account of the Angiosperms 

 precedes the systematic treatment of the Monocotyledons. The latter 

 are arranged in eight series, beginning with the presumably most 

 primitive forms, and closing with the most elaborate, as follows : 

 (1) Pandanales (including the orders Typhaceas, Sparganiaceae and 

 Pandanaceae) ; (2) Helobieae (including Najadacea3, Potarnogetonaceae, 

 Alismaceaa and Hydrocharideas) ; (3) Glumiflora3 (Gramineae and 

 Cyperaceas) ; (4) Spadiciflorge (Palmaceas, Aroideaa and Lenmaceae) ; 

 (5) Farinosae (Restiaceaa, Eriocaulaceaa, Commelinaceaa, Bromeliacese, 

 Pontederiaceae) ; (6) Liliifloraa (Juncaceas, Liliaceae and allied orders) ; 

 (7) Scitamineaa ; (8) Microspermas (Burmanniaceae, Orchidaceaa). 



Under each order the author gives a general morphological account 

 of the vegetative organs, the flower, fruit and seed, followed by a 

 review of its systematic subdivision in the case of the larger orders. 

 The volume concludes with a general review of the series and orders 

 with suggestions as to their phylogeny. The book is included in the 

 Cambridge Biological Series, of which A. E. Shipley is the editor. 



Relation between the Cryptogams and Higher Plants.* — B. 

 Renault from a brief review of some recent work in fossil botany 

 suggests that the Cryptogams had several points of contact with 

 Phanerogams. Thus t'olpoxylon has affinities with both the Cycads 

 and the Ferns ; Arthropitys recalls both Equisetaceas and Conifera3, 

 while the seeds of Gnetopsis suggest those of the recent Gnetaceas. 



Chinese Flora.f — The last instalment of Forbes and Hemsley 

 enumeration contains the conclusion of the genus Car'ex by C. B. 

 Clarke. This genus is represented by no less than 150 species, 

 several of which are described for the first time, and is probably the 

 largest, as regards number of species, in the flora ; the contribution 

 includes various critical notes. The same issue contains the first part 

 of the Gramineas by A. B. Rendle, and includes an enumeration of the 

 two large tribes, Paniceas and Andropogoneaa. Henry's collections, 

 especially those from Formosa and Yunnan, supply several new and 

 interesting species, and novelties have also been described from the late 

 Dr. Hance's herbarium. A curious case of geographical distribution is 

 found in Digitaria setifolia which, hitherto only known from South 

 Africa, is recorded from the Island of Hongkong and the mainland 

 near Canton. 



Ash Analysis of Acacia salicina.J — A. J. Higgin finds an extra- 

 ordinarily large percentage of lime (40*7), and sulphuric anhydride 

 (30 " 09) in the ash of the leaves of this plant, indicating the presence 

 of a large percentage of calcium sulphate. The presence of the lime 



* Comptes Rtmlus, cxxxviii. (1904) pp. 1237-9. 



t Jouru. Linn. Soc. (But.), xxxvi. (1904) pp. 297-376. 



X Trans. Rov. Soc. S. Australia, xxvii. (1903) pp. 202-4. 



