NOTICES OF BOOKS. a 287 
by Mr. J. Smith in the great conservatory at Kew, much to the detri- 
ment of their beauty. The abundant hairs with which the leaves are 
clothed on both sides, especially the stouter ones upon the various 
ramifications of the nerves, are swollen at the base, and are composed 
of a number of cells, hexagonal below, but much elongated towards 
the apices, presenting very much the appearance of the leaves of 
some moss under the microscope. I have not been able to fin 
this structure in Melastomacee, in any book to which I have access, 
though it can scarcely have escaped observation. In the affected 
leaves the base of the hairs swells, and at first remains green, the hair 
still occupying the centre of the swelling. As the swelling increases 
the hair is either thrown on one side or entirely disappears ; while the 
little tubercles acquire a pale rusty hue, and are visible between the 
hairs, giving an unhealthy appearance to the leaves. They are of a 
tender consistence, swell out, after having been dried, very rapidly on 
the application of water, and consist of a very loose hexagonal tissue, 
with here and there a trace of slender threads. After a time they in- 
crease in size, projecting beyond the hairs, and present the appearance 
of some hypocreous Spheria, or rather of some mangy eruption. They 
do not then so readily imbibe water, As the tubercles are smaller than 
those on the peas, they more readily dry, and therefore are not likely 
to pass into a state of decomposition, which may account for their not 
offering any extraneous bodies, such as existed in Dr. Dickie's speci- 
mens.— B. 
NOTICES OF BOOKS. 
BOISSIER : Diagnoses Plantarum Orientalium Novarum. 
It is with much pleasure we announce the appearance of four more 
fascicles of this valuable work—Parts 8, 9, 10, 11, Paris, 1849, each of 
about 130 pages. In these portions the plants are arranged i 
cally, according to De Candolle, (from Ranunculacee to Boraginea) ; a 
a very large proportion are from the collections made by the = 
himself, during his extensive travels; those of Heldreich, especially 
from Candia, &e., noticed in the present No. of the Journal ; those of 
Aucher-Eloy, &e. The novelties in the genus Astragalus alone are 
