220 K0TICE9 or BOOS?. 



Sapotacece have presented great difficulties ; twenty-four genera aro 

 given (four being now characterised for the first time), but many are 

 still badly limited, owing to the seeds of numerous species being still 

 unknown. The Gutta-Percha, Isonandra Gutta, Hook., is in this case ; 

 it is here placed under the genus Dichopsis, Thwaites. In the 

 Ebenacece Mr. Hiern's excellent monograph has been followed; 

 Brachyneyna, however, discarded from the Order by that author, is here 

 6till (doubtfully) retained in it. The JaaminecB and Oleacece form a 

 single Order. Phhjarodoxa (see J. Bot., 1875, p. 229) is thought to 

 be a species of Ligustrum. The anomalous genera Gehemium and 

 Desfontainesia are both accommodated in the Logam'acece, where we 

 also find Buddie ia and some other genera formerly placed in Scrophu- 

 lariacece. In the Gentianece we notice that the two species (one from 

 Guernsey) found in British books under Cicendia are here widely sepa- 

 rated, C. pusilla (C. CandoUei) being retained in that genus, now re- 

 stricted to a single species, whilst the common English species, C. 

 filiformis, becomes Microcala filiformk of HofFmansegg and Link. 



The species of Boraginca: are estimated at 1200, the CordiecB and 

 Ehretiece being included ; it may be noted that Dr. A. Gray has already 

 published his new genera Harpagonella and Echidiocarya in the part 

 of his "Botanical Contributions " dated January 5th, 1876. In Con- 

 volvuJacecB nearly half of the species are now included in one great 

 genus Jpomcca, into which are merged Exogonium, Pharhitis, &c. No- 

 lana and its allies are included in this Order. The SolanacecE have 

 been considerally remodelled from the form in which they were left 

 after the laborious investigations of Dunal and Miers. Over 1800 

 species have been published, which the authors of the "Genera" 

 would reduce to 1250, arranged in sixty-seven genera, under five 

 tribes, the last of which is the Salpiglossidce, consisting mainly of 

 genera placed by Bentham as a tribe of the ScrophuIariacPCB in his 

 monograph in 1)0. Prod., vol. x. (1846). A few of Mr. Miers' and 

 Dunal's genera have been reduced to others, but, on the other 

 hand, F.ome sections of Dunal have been promoted to generic rank 

 {^Fhjsochlaina, Cacalus). Solanum is still credited with at least 700 

 species, and no better mode of grouping them is suggested than into 

 Dunal's two sections ; it is remarked that a monograph by a competent 

 botanist is much wanted. Verbascece is retained in Scro2}hulariacecB, 

 ■which has 1900 species under 158 genera. Orobanc/iacea one is a 

 little surprised to find kept distinct. There are as many as seven new 

 (unpublished) genera among the Gesmracea (in which Cgrtatidrect are 

 included) : and some fourteen or fifteen in the large Order Acanihacece. 

 In the vast family of Labiates Mr. Bentham may be considered to be 

 especially versed ; the 136 genera, containing 2600 species, are here 

 grouped under eight tribes, the monograph contained in the 

 " Prodromus " being followed with but very little change ; Salvia is 

 credited with 450 species. 



There is one omission in the "Genera Plantarum" : the authors 

 do not give the date of publication of the genus-names they adopt. 

 To have added these dates would have occupied a quite inconsiderable 

 space, and would have saved a good deal of trouble to those working 

 with the book. Considerable difterence of opinion, it is true, prevails 

 among botanists as to the origin of the definition of genera in the 



