88 



CONSPECTUS FLOR^ AFRICA. 



Tliiselton Dyer has undertaken the general editing of the volumes, 

 and several English botanists have promised to contribute the 

 descriptions of different natural orders " [Journ. Dot. 1872, 319). 

 It is not for us to decide who is responsible for the delay of nearly 

 a quarter of a century : the Cape Government seems to have done 

 its part, and would no doubt have continued to subsidize so 

 important an undertaking. But we may be allowed to suggest that, 

 essential as it is that the great European collections should be 

 fully consulted, there are now in South Africa men of many years' 

 experience, both in the field and the herbarium, who might well 

 be commissioned to proceed with the work. Mr. Bolus and Mr. 

 McOwan — to mention two names out of several which will suggest 

 themselves — have an unrivalled knowledge of the Cape flora, and 

 the former is no stranger to European herbaria. We believe that 

 Harvey's collections could be lent for the purpose, as well as others 

 from Europe ; and Mr. Bolus on his next visit could do much, with 

 his already acquired knowledge, to set the work once more on foot. 

 The Flora of Tropical Africa was carried on with some regularity 

 under the editorship of Prof. Oliver from 1868, when the first 

 volume was issued, until 1877, when the third volume, terminating 

 with the Ebenaccfp., appeared. Then, for a period of fifteen years, 

 nothing was published, although the Government, which is 

 responsible for financing the work, had not been idle. On 

 March 21, 1891, Lord Salisbury communicated to the Director 

 of Kew Gardens his anxiety "that the completion of the work 

 should at once be carried out"; this letter was printed in the 

 Builethi of Miscellaneous Infcnmation for January, 1894, with a note 

 that "at Kew vol. iv. of the Flora is in active preparation." 

 With the exception, however, of three somewhat hastily prepared* 

 papers describing new species, the last of which appeared in April 

 last, nothing has so far been published, and we have reason to 

 believe that the MS. of the volume has not yet been sent to press. 

 Among the many inconveniences arising from this delay is the 

 distribution through herbaria of a large number of MS. names, 

 some of which find their way into print ; but we reserve what we 

 have to say on this head until we have an opportunity of discussing 

 at greater length than would be possible here the whole question of 

 nomina nmla. It will be sufficiently manifest from what has been 

 said that at the present rate of publication neither of the Floras in 

 progress will reach the Monocotyledons for several years, and that 

 many of the botanists now living cannot hope to see their completion. 

 Very wisely, therefore, have MM. Durand and Schinz decided to 

 begin with these plants, and although, when the Conspectus is 

 finished, it may seem odd to find vol. i. bearing a later date than 

 any of those succeeding it in numerical order, such an inconvenience 



* See Journ. Bot. 1894, 85. It may be noted that the names Cordia obovata 

 (I. c. 28) and Ehretia macrophyUa (I. c. 29) are preoccupied : Cordia obovata 

 Balf. fil. in Proc. R. Sod. Edinb. xii. SO, and Ehretia macroplujlla Wall, in Boxb. 

 Fl. Ind. (ed. Carey), ii. 343, preceding these by several years. It seems un-- 

 desirable that the African plants should remain unnamed, and we propose for 

 each the specific name Bakeri, 



