BOOK-NOTES, NEWS, ETC. 215 



Meeban. — (18 May). C. de Candolle, 'Proliferous leaves' (fi^s. 

 117-120). 



Journal de Botanique (" Jan." & '* Fevrier " ; received 26 April): 

 '' Mars " (received 16 May). — H. Hua & A. Chevalier, ' Les Lan- 

 dolphiees du Senegal, dii Soudan et de la Guinee fran9aise.' — C. 

 Sauvageau, 'Les Spliacelariacees ' (cont.). — (" Jan." & " Mars"). 

 C. Gerber, ' Sur la respiration des Olives.' — (" Fev."). L. Guig- 

 nard, ' La double fecondation dans le Mais.' — (" Mars "). H. Le- 

 comte, 'Sur les graines de Landolphia.' 



BOOK-NOTES, NEWS, dc. 



At a meeting of the Linnean Society held on April 18th, Mr. 

 W. B. Hemsley exhibited the leaves and Mowers of two new genera 

 of Chinese trees : (1) Bretschneideria, commemorating the eminent 

 sinologue and botanist whose death has lately been announced, dis- 

 covered by Dr. Henry in the province of Yunnan, lat. 23° N., in 

 forests at an elevation of 5000 ft., and bearing pink and white flowers 

 like the horse-chestnut, to which it is related ; and (2) Itoa, also a 

 native of Yunnan, growing at a similar elevation and to a height of 

 about twenty feet ; this genus, named in honour of a famous Japanese 

 botanist, was stated to be allied to Idesia Maxim., Poliothi/rsus Oliver, 

 and Carrierea Franch., all monotypic genera inhabiting China, but 

 differing from them in certain respects which Mr. Hemsley indicated. 

 Mr. Hemsley and Mr. H. H. Pearson communicated a paper on 

 the Flora of Tibet, based on various collections of high-level plants 

 received at the Kew Herbarium. The country dealt with was de- 

 scribed as lying between 80° and 102° lat. and 28° and 29° long., 

 and having an average altitude of 15,000 ft. Within this ar^a 

 360 species of vascular plants had been collected, and were referred 

 to 144 genera and 46 natural orders. Almost all the orders repre- 

 sented were nearly of world-wide distribution, and none were really 

 local. Of the 360 species, only 30 appeared to be peculiar to Tibet. 

 In illustration of the paper, a selection of the plants was exhibited; 

 most of them dwarf deep-rooted herbs, very few annual or mono- 

 carpic, and the only woody plant. Ephedra Gerardiana, was described 

 as scarcely rising above the surface of the ground. The majority 

 had been collected at altitudes varying between 15,000 and 18,000 ft. 

 Mr. C. B. Clarke pointed out that the name " Thibet" or " Tibet " 

 was quite unknown to the people who dwelt in the country so-called, 

 and its precise boundaries were even still imperfectly defined. It 

 was convenient, however, to retain a name by which it was known 

 to so many European travellers, and their explorations and col- 

 lections were making us better acquainted with the country every day. 

 We are informed by Fellows of the Linnean Society who were 

 present at the meeting on the 4th of April that the account of the 

 proceedings given in our last number is incorrect. Mr. Hemsley, who 

 is said to have exhibited specimens, was not present at the meeting, 

 nor was Mr. H. H. Pearson, to whom, with Mr. Hemsley, the reading 



