356 DE GENERE BUNCHOSIA. 



before, unless possibly by Weddell, that " dark horse" of botanical 

 explorers, whose nondescripts are still awaiting disinterment at 

 Paris. It would savour of presumption were one who has made no 

 special study of Palms to attempt a criticism in every way worthy 

 of the subject of this essay ; but I cannot refrain from the sug- 

 gestion that the author is at times rather too much inclined to 

 "lump" species. A flagrant instance of this is Cocas Romanzoffiana 

 Cham., under which he includes no less than five other names, all 

 maintained as of specific value by Prof. Drnde in his fine monograph 

 in the Flora Brasiliensis. I am myself affected by this description 

 of the Brazilian savant, for he sinks my Dipluthemium jangadense 

 under D. leiicocfth/x of Driule, without showing any appreciation of 

 the important floral differences between the two. Moreover, I do 

 not quite like Dr. Eodrigues's idea of nomenclature. Thus he 

 describes under the name Astrocaryum arenarium Barb. Kod. a palm 

 concerning which he is in doubt whether it may not be the A. Wed- 

 delli of Drude, w^hen he would have been better advised, I think, 

 in not giving a name until the doubt was resolved. And why, in 

 referring the well-known Attalea speciosa Mart, to OrbUjnia, does he 

 add to synonymy by calling the plant 0. Martiana Barb. Rod. ? 

 The author asserts of the Caranda Palm [Copernicia cerifera Mart.), 

 " one may say, as it were, that all the region of the Chaco is ex- 

 clusively occupied by it"; but this is very far indeed from being 

 correct. 



The memoir is well got up and lavishly illustrated. Dr. Rodrigues 

 promises further contributions to the flora of Matto Grosso, and these 

 will be looked for with much interest. n ^r 



De Geneve BuncJwsia, By Prof. F. Niedenzu. Brunsberg, 1898. 



4to, pp. 17.* 



As it is about fifty years since M. Adrien de Jussieu monographed 

 MalpighiaceiB, it is quite time some of the genera of this interesting 

 natural order were again revised. M. de Jussieu enumerated twenty- 

 three species of /^^6uc/ios^a; Prof. Niedenzu has thirty-two species, 

 which he has carefully characterized and placed in their correct 

 sequence ; there are also nine species which are unknown to him 

 save by name, making altogether forty-one species. 



The Professor divides the genus into two subgenera, Ciruela and 

 Malacmaa, founded principally on the size of the flowers. The 

 most important subdivisions of these are based on the colour and 

 shape of the connective and its relation to the loculi. Other 

 divisions are founded on the petals, whether lacerate-dentate, 

 glandular or eglandular, &c. It has been found necessary to 

 make considerable alterations in the species enumerated in Grise- 

 bach's Flora of the British West Indies, as in several cases these were 

 wrongly identified. 



* Prefixed to " Index Lectionum in Lyceo regio Hosiano Brunsbergensi per 

 biemem a die xv, Octobris 1898 usque ad diem xv. Martii 1899 instituendarum." 



