450 



f 



lamina of eaoli petal (fig. 2), though the appendage is much 

 simpler than that of Erythroxylon, or at any rate of the African 



species of that genus. 



So far the fruit of Nectar opetalum has not been known. A 

 description of it is, however, supplied below from the material of 

 the new species under discussion. It will supplement the original 

 description of the genus. 



vacuum 



sum specie 1-loculare; pericarpium chartaceum, intus costulis 

 3 notatum (fig. 8). Semen 1, testa membranacea ; endospermium 

 carnosum, mediocre. Embryo viscosus; cotyledones rotundato- 

 ellipticae; radicula distinct a. 



The very great similarity of this fruit to that of typical 

 Erytliroxylon demonstrates clearly the close affinity of Nectaro- 

 petaluin and Erythroxylon as pointed out by Dr. Stapf and 

 Mr. Boodle in Kew Bulletin, 1909, p. 189. 



Dr. Schonland's description in the Records of the Albany 

 Museum being sufficiently explicit, there is no need of repeating 

 it. It may suffice to state that, owing to its removal to Nectaro- 

 petalum, the name of the plant will have to be changed to Nectaro- 

 petalum zuluense, Corbishley. A. g. c. 



The Flora of Macquarie Island. — In series C of the Scientific 

 ileports of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition under the 

 leadership of Sir Douglas Mawson during 1911-14, occurs one of 

 singular interest from the pen of Mr. T. F. Cheeseman, on the 

 Vascular Flora of Macquarie Island. This island lies over 600 

 miles to the south-west of New Zealand, about 920 miles south- 

 east of Tasmania, and about 970 miles from the coast of the 

 Antarctic continent. It lies in the same zone as South Georgia,, 



some 5800 miles to the east, and as Kerguelen Island, 3250 

 miles to the east. Its greatest length is nearly 21 miles, its 

 extreme width nearly four miles. Discovered in 1810 it was not 

 until some 20 years later that anvthing was learned regarding its 



About 1830 Mr. C. Eraser sent to Sir W. J. Hooker 

 a small collection representing eight species of flowering plants 

 wi^i. o-n„ A u \y recorded in Sir J. I). Hooker's ' Elora Antarctica/ 



vegetation. 



As Mr. Cheeseman points out this small collection contained all 

 but one of the conspicuous species in the vegetation of the island. 

 Half-a-century later Dr. J. H. Scott, of Otago University visited 

 the island to study its fauna and flora. His account of the 

 island, published in 1883, includes a list of the plants, deter- 

 mined by Mr. A. C. Purdie, and Mr. Cheeseman after a critical 

 revision of the list, finds that the number of species recorded had 

 been raised from eight to nineteen. Another visit to the island 

 was paid by Mr. A. Hamilton, of Otago University, fourteen 

 vears later. Mr. Hamilton's notes published in 1895, include a 

 list of the plants determined by Mr. T. Kirk, which brings the 

 total number of species up to thirty-two, three of which are 

 naturalised species, while three others were regarded as endemic 



ones. 



31 



