Floristik, Geographie, Systematik etc. — Pflanzenchemie. 207 



8400: Rhododendron ambiguum Hemsl., n. sp. (inter species foliis 

 lepidoto-glandulosis R. trißoro, Hook. f.. valde aflinis, differt tarnen 

 foliis maturis minus coriaceis magis acuminatis, lepidibus majoribus 

 minus crebris, eymis plus quam trilloris et eorolla extra pauci- 

 lepidota intus postice viridi-maculata), Western China; tab. 8401: 

 Buddleia officinalis Maxim., China. S. A. Skan. 



Reid, C, The fruiting of Tamarisk. (Nature N°. 2177. p. 77. 1911.) 



Records flowering and seeding of Tamarix anglica in England 

 during the Stimmer of 1911.) W. G. Smith. 



Thompson, H. S., Alpine Plants of Europe. (287 pp. 64 cold. 

 plates. map. London, G. Routledge & Sons Ltd. 1911.) 



The aim of this book is to give botanical descriptions of the 

 more beautiful species of flowering plants indigenous to the High 

 Alps and other mountains in Europe, also some subalpine species 

 and Southern rock-plants suitable for cultivation in rock-gardens. 

 The backbone of the book is Joseph Seboth's drawings of alpine 

 plants and of these the printer has reproduced some 300 plants 

 excellently. It is however not the first time that Seboth's illustra- 

 tions have appeared with an English text. Practically the whole 

 book is taken up with systematic descriptions of about 700 species, 

 with remarks on habitat, distribution, and some notes on their 

 cultivation. The descriptions are taken from Standard works such 

 as Schinz and Wilczek, Coste, etc. with notes added by the 

 author from his own specimens or those in the herbaria at Geneva. 

 From the taxonomic point of view, the descriptions will be useful so 

 far as they go, but they only extend to the more showy species, 

 while the less conspicuous orders, Juncaceae, Cyperaceae, Gramineae, 

 etc. are practicalty neglected. The ecological aspect of alpine plant- 

 life with its many features of interest revealed by so many writers 

 (Christ, C. Schröter, etc.) is here limited to 12 pages. The chapter 

 on the cultivation of alpine plants (p. 13—20) is short, but is supple- 

 mented by notes given with the descriptions. During recent years 

 many excellent books on this subject have been written in English 

 by growers with great experience. The small scale of the map and 

 the faintly indicated physical features render it less useful than 

 the ordinarv Ordnance Survey maps of the alpine countries. 



W. G. Smith. 



Oesterle, O. A. und U. Johann. Ueber die sogenannte 

 Methylchrysophan säure. (Archiv Pharm, p. 476. 1910.) 

 Chrysarobin und die Chrysophansäure des Rhabarbers {Reum 

 palmatum L.) werden von einem Körper begleitet, der sich schwer 

 entfernen fässt und nach Hesse Methylchrysophansäure sein sollte. 

 Die Verff. weisen nun nach, dass der in Rede stehende Körper der 

 Monomethyläther des Frangula-Emodins ist. Mit diesem stimmen in 

 der Zusammensetzung und den Eigenschaften überein: das Physcion 

 (Flechtenchrvsophansäure) und der als Rheochrysidin bezeichnete 

 methoxylhaltige Begleiter der Rhabarberchrysophansäure. 



Tunmann. 



Sehaer, E., Ueber das Verhalten der Alkaloide zu Chinon 



