42 Floristik, Geographie, Systematik etc. 



of intimate knowledge of the district and of close Observation 

 extended over a considerable period, the memoir will as the author 

 suggest give "some help to the larger schemes of ecological en- 

 quiry." The quarries have been worked for stone and abandoned 

 at various times. They expose carboniferous rocks, coarse and fine 

 sandstone, flagstones and shales; geological details are given, as 

 well as topographical and other features. The waste heaps consist 

 mainly of surface soil and disintegrated rocks, with blocks of various 

 sizes from the rock-faces. They are situated in thinly canopied 

 woods which have not been much interfered with by planting, 

 consisting of the Quercus-Betula type on dry soils recognised by 

 British ecologists; the natural undergrowth is Pteris, Lastraea spp. , 

 Aira ßexuosa, Holciis mollis, and Scilla. Besides the disturbance of 

 soil in quarrying, there has also been a disturbance of the natural 

 Vegetation by roads along which roadside and other plants have 

 become dispersed. 



The author has worked out a scheme of succession from the 

 more recent spoil heaps to the older ones, which have more or less 

 returned to the natural Vegetation of the woods. The primary pioneers 

 are algae, lichens, and mosses, e. g. Ceratodon piipureiis. Vascular 

 plants occur as secondary pioneers, e. g. Senecio sylvaticus,S.jacohea, 

 Poa annua, Sagina procumbens, with seedlings of Betula. The next 

 or "first transition stage" is marked b}^ increase of Betula {B. ver- 

 rucosa and B. tomentosa var. carpatica), Salix caprea, Aira flexuosa, 

 Calluna, Teucriurn, Lastraea spp., etc. A "second transition stage" 

 shows increase of Acer pseudo-platanus , Sambucus, Pyrus aucuparia, 

 Galiuni saxatile, Holcus mollis, and Pteris. A third stage has Lych- 

 nis diurna, Oxalis, and Scilla. Certain plants of the surrounding 

 woods are still sparingly in the quarries, e. g. Adoxa and Ranun- 

 ciilus ficaria. The order of succession is shown on a reference table 

 of the species, while another table gives the br3^ophytes and lichens. 



Amongst other items, there is a useful series of drawings sho- 

 wing Variation in growth and leaf-form of Calluna in exposed and 

 sheltered situations. The illustrations are chiefly reproductions from 

 photographs showing stages of the Vegetation, and they aid the 

 reader considerably in foUowing the descriptive part. 



^^ W. G. Smith. 



Nakai, T., Aliquot novae plantae ex Asia Orientale. (Bot. 

 Mag. Tokyo. XXIII. 268. p. 99—108. 1909.) 



Neu beschrieben werden: Cnicus Maackii Max. var. koraiensis, 

 C. diamantiacus , Cynibidium virescens Lindl. var. sinense, Geraniuni 

 hastaturn, G. linumai, Galiuni \shikokiatium, G. japonicum (Max.) 

 Mak. et Nakai var. hracteaturn , Hydrangea virens Sieb, forma «. typica, 

 ß. borealis, Lysimachia coreana, Gentiana jescana nom. nov. (war 

 G. rigescens Franch. vq.v . japonicaKvisnez) vzr . coreana, G. UcJiiyaniai, 

 Lithospertnuin secundum, Calystegia sepiuvn R. Br. var. japonica 

 (Chois.) Mak. forma angustifolia , Miscanthus Hackeli. Weiter enthält 

 die Arbeit Bestimmungstabellen in lateinischer Sprache für die in 

 Japan, Korea, Sachalin und Formosa vorkommenden Gera- 

 nium-Arten und für die japanischen Galiuni Arten. Jongmans. 



Nakai, T., Cornaceae in Japan. (Bot. Mag. Tokvo. XXIII. 266. 

 p. 35—45. 1909.) 



Die Arbeit enthält eine Bestimmungstabelle der Genera und 



