132 JOURNAL OF THE WASHINGTON ACADEMY OF SCIENCES VOL. 11, NO. 6 



The above description is compiled from the original, based on fragmentary 

 fruiting specimens, and from the descriptions of Martins and Zuccarini and 

 of Eichler. The native name is given as "botuto." It is recorded by Eichler 

 from the provinces of Para (Spruce 483) and Alto Amazonas (Spruce 494) . 



In the National Herbarium is a single sheet of fruiting material labeled as 

 this species, collected at Catalina on the Lower Orinoco by Rusby and 



Squires (no. 236). This has 5-foliolate leaves, with the 

 sessile elliptic acuminate and apiculate perhaps not 

 mature leaflets 10 to 11.5 cm. long or more, 3 to 4 cm. 

 wide, glabrous above, beneath puberulous along the 

 '^//l'\^^' costa and chief veins. The capsules are obovate, 



' slightly umbilicate at apex, 3-valved, 6 cm. long, 3 cm. 



Fig. 2. Seed oi Maxi- thick, very densely olivaceous-puberulous and with 



milianea orinocensis, , j i v . a,a, , . , , 



^ , sparse looser and longer hairs, i he seeds are mvolute, 



X 1. Drawn from 11,1-1 



Rushy & Squires 256. ^ "^"^- ^^^^e- ^"^ clothed With a peripheral fringe of 



rufidulous wool about 9 mm. long. In the only other 

 species of which I have examined the seeds, M. vitijolia, the much looser 

 and denser wool is attached to the whole outer surface of the seed, on the 

 sides as well as on the back. 



7. Maximilianea parkeri (Planch.) Kuntze, Rev. Gen. PI. i:A:A,2isMaximili- 



ana. 1891. 



Cochlospermum parkeri Planch. Lond. Journ. Bot. 6: 310. 1847. 



Petioles very thinly puberulous, about 7.5 cm. long; leaflets 5, oblong, very 

 obtuse, at base long-attenuate, glabrous, the terminal one 5 to 7.5 cm. long, 

 2 to 3.5 cm. wide, the two lowest less than half as large; peduncle bifurcate 

 at apex, the flowers secund along the branches. 

 Type Locality: British Guiana. 



Not seen. Described from material in the Kew Herbarium, collected by 

 Parker. 



8. Maximilianea paviaefolia (Planch.) Kuntze, Rev. Gen. PI. i : 44, as 



Maximiliana pawiacfolia. 1891. 



Cochlospermum parviaefolium (sic) Planch. Lond. Journ. Bot. 6: 311. 1847. 



Cochlospermum parkiaefolium (sic) Hook. & Jacks. Ind. Kew i': 576. 1893. 



Leaflets 5, sessile, oblong, abruptly acuminate, glabrous, the middle one 

 7.5 cm. long, 2.5 to 3.7 cm. wide; pedicels 1.2 cm. long or more; sepals broadly 

 oblong, obtuse, slightly unequal, rufo-tomentellous outside; petals twice as 

 long. 

 Type Locality: Surinam. 



Not seen; based on material in the Kew Herbarium, collected by Hostmann. 



OCEANOGRAPHY.— T/z^ problem of physical oceanography. '^ A. L. 

 Thuras. (Communicated by vS. W. Stratton, Bureau of Standards.) 

 Physical oceanography is that branch of oceanography which deals 

 with the physical properties of the ocean such as temperature, salinity, 

 density, pressure, velocity and direction of water movements, for the 



1 Received January 31, 1921. 



