v. Mu eller, Notes on Botanical Collections. 22 7 



Haloragis micrantha and H. scabra have now also for the first 

 time been identified as extending to New Guinea. 



It is particularly worthy of mention that a Ruellia, brought 

 by Sir William Macgregor from Kalo presentsflowers variously 

 with four and five stamens; the only hitherto known instance of 

 an acanthaceous plant bearing five stamens seems to be that of 

 Pentstemonanthus, a Brazilian genus with a single species, the ge- 

 neric distinction by that charakter becoming evidently impaired. 



The Santalum from Sandalwood Bay — S. Macgregorii — is 

 a species somewhat cognate to S. Freycinetianum, but the leaves 

 are less blunt, the flowers provided with only very short ultimate 

 stalklets, and suddenly contracted at the base, although slightli con- 

 stricted dose above it, showing thus far an approach to S. albumj 

 it is further related to one from New Caledonia mentioned by 

 Veillard. Ripe fruits are, howewer, unknown to settle finally the 

 exact specific position of this interesting plant. From the Rev. 

 J. Chalmers specimens of what seems to be a second Papuan 

 Santalum were received. The immature fruits resemble those of 

 Strombosia Javanica; but the wood of this supposed sandal-tree 

 may not be odorous, like in the case of the majority of the Austra- 

 lian species. 



The very showy Rhododendron Carringtoniae, or one very closely 

 allied, has been obtained from Mount Suckling, and Mount Dayman 

 also. The very last collection from Sir William Macgregor 

 contains a Rhododendron variously related to R. Javanum, R. Cele- 

 bicum, R. Arfakense and R. Hatamense, the specific limits of neither 

 being as yet traced out, the size of the plant in all its organs being 

 much altered according to the higher or lower altitudes of the 

 places of growth, as in the case, indeed, with all other highland 

 plants. 



The Orchid flora of New Guinea has yielded us recently two 

 additional genera-namely, Ceratostylis and Corysanihes. There is 

 also now an additional Carex from high altitude. 



Most Bamboos producing flowers rarely, it is now for the first 

 time that one from the British Papuan territory can be accurately 

 defined. Specimens came quite recently ; they show tis one, per- 

 taining to the genus Schizostachium, of which, howewer, another 

 species has become already known from German New Guinea. The 

 present species is small leaved and has very thin ramifications. In 

 the highest altitudes grows a Danthonia with untwisted awn. It is 

 evidently a good pasture grass. Specifically it is related to some 

 African congeners. Two Fern trees now brought und er notice from 

 New Guinea deserve specially to be alluded to; one is a Dick- 

 sonia of the section Cibotium, a type not before found in the Pa- 

 puan Vegetation. The other is a Cyathea, remarkable for even the 

 ultimate frond- segments being stalked, imparting to the süperb plant 

 a strikingly peculiar appearance. 



Among Ferns can also be recordet as uew from recent collections 

 of Sir William Macgregor, according to Kew researches, facili- 



15* 



