BOTANY 381 



H. H. Thomas gives some interesting notes on the Libyan 

 desert. Only two ephemeral species were at all frequent even 

 during the " wet " season (total rainfall 5-91 mm.) of the first 

 four months of the year. These were a bulbous plant Dip- 

 cadi erythrceum (Liliacece) and an ephemeral member of the 

 Geraniaceae, Monsonia nivea. Perennial species were rare, the 

 chief being Convolvulus lanatus and Calligonum comosum. The 

 latter, which is a Polygonaceous plant, responds to accumula- 

 tion of sand by further growth, like Suceda fruticosa when 

 buried by shingle. 



Salisbury in the Naturalist (October) deals with the vegeta- 

 tion of drying mud, which shows three phases, generally marked 

 by the presence, respectively, of Vaucheria sessilis, Botrydium 

 granulatu7n, and phanerogamic seedlings. The chief feature 

 of the vegetation is the not infrequent occurrence of rare 

 species in great abundance. Noteworthy examples cited are 

 Limosella aquatica, Alopecurus fulvus, Rumex limosus and 

 Elatine hydropiper, all of which have been found in quantity 

 occupying localities where they were apparently very rare or 

 from which they were altogether absent for possibly many 

 years prior to their development en masse. It is suggested 

 that we here have to deal with instances of delayed germination 

 over a period of years comparable with that demonstrated for 

 Alisma plantago by Crocker. 



Taxonomy. — An important contribution appears in the 

 Journal of the Linnean Soc. for September, describing the 

 plants collected by Prof. Compton in New Caledonia. These 

 embrace new species belonging to the following genera : 

 Dendrobium, Biilbophyllum, Phreatea, Phajus, Calanthe, Sar- 

 cochilus, Acianthus, Capynema, Freycinetia, Eriocaulon, Costu- 

 laria, Scleria, Hibbertia, Drymis, lonidium, Agation, Pitto- 

 sporum, Garcinia, Microsemum, Sterculia Elceocarpus, Rysso- 

 pteris, Boronella, Melicope, Evodia Zanthoxylon, Dutaillyea, 

 Murraya, Dinoxylum, Sphenostemon, Euroschinus, Semecarpus, 

 Arthrocliantkus Phaseolus, Mucuna, Storkiella, Albizzia, 

 Parinariu7n, Geissois, Codia, Pancheria, Spirceanthemum, Poly- 

 osma Terminalia, Clcezia, Myrtus, Eugenia, Casearia, Homalium, 

 Sckefflera, Dizygotheca, Ereinopanax, Apiopetalufu, Bikkia, 

 Lucincea, Randia, Gardenia, Atractocarpus, Cyclophyllum, Ixora, 

 Morinda, Psychotria, Cephaelis, Lagenophora, Erigeron, Bluniea, 

 Sccevola Dracophyllum, Rapanea, Chrysophylluni, Planchonella, 

 Palaquium, Symplocos, Melodium, Ranwolfia, Alyxia, Ptero- 

 chrosia, Alstonia, Parsonsia, Tylophora, Marsdenia, Hoya, 

 Geniostoma, Lindernia, P sender anthemum, Justicia, Myoporuni, 

 Gmelina, Oxera, Timeroya, Atriplex, Nepenthes, Piper, Hedycarya, 

 Trimenia, Litsea, Beauprea, Grevillea, Stenocarpus, Loranthus, 

 Exocarpus, Ricinocarpus, Phyllanthus, Acalypha, Cleidion, 



