140 Bibliographical Notices. 



2 apicalibus rarissime transversira connexis dehiscentes. 

 Pollen globosum, vel ellipticum, 8-sulcatum. Ovarii vesti- 

 gium nullum. — Florum ? partes ignotse. Achenia 2 distincta, 

 rarius solitaria, summo spicse amentiformis (ei 6 similis) affixa, 

 involucellis omnino vel senri-inclusa, oblonga, subcompressa, 

 plano-convexa, collateralia, erecta. Pericardium siccum, co- 

 riaceum, glaberrimum (mesocarpio fibrillifero), indehiscens, 

 apice glandulseforme pro tubilli transitu pervium, uniloculare. 

 Semen unicum, basi affixum, loculo paulo brevius, apice 

 acutum ; integumenta 2, simplicia, ab imo usque ad medium 

 coalita et membranacea, deninc superne libera et distincta 

 testa tegmine valde brevior, ore lato aperta ; tegmen superne 

 opacius, crassius, ssepe corrugatum, apice glandula carnosa 

 majuscula clausum; tubillus e centro glandulse produetus, 

 erectus, elongatus, per foramen pericarpii prolatus, et ssepe 

 longe exsertus, filiformis, teres, fistuloso-niembranaceus, per- 

 sistens, apice irregulariter laceratus aut breviter 2-labiatus, 

 labiis aut brevibus concavis et subsequalibus, aut inconstanter 

 insequalibus ; hilum cum chalaza basali confusum, substi- 

 pitatum; raphe nulla; albumen oblongum, compressum, ob- 

 pyriforme, carnosulum, apice ad glandulam adhserens, em- 

 bryone paulo longius -, cotyledones oblongse, compressse, sub- 

 foliacese; radicula teres, supera, hilo contraria, cotyledonibus 

 sequilonga vel dimidio brevior et earum sexta parte latitudinis. 

 Suffrutices cosmopolitani, e basi ramosissimi, erecti, humifusi vel 

 alte scandentes ; ramulis teneribus, scepius virgatis, oppositis, 

 ternis, aut fasciculatis, in axillis nodosis ; folia rudimentaria 2, 

 opposita, vel plura, primum in vaginam brevem amplexicaulem 

 apice 2-3-4<-jissam coalita, demum sape disjuncta ; flores parvi, 

 spicati ; spicse parvulce, in axillis sessiles, solitaries, bina aut 

 plures glomeratce, vel in ramulum brevem terminantes, involu- 

 cellis viridibus, perigonio sapius aurantiaco, columna staminali 

 viridescente, antheris late flavis. 



[To be continued.] 



BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. 



The British Ferns. By Sir W. J. Hooker ; with Drawings by 

 W. Fitch. 8vo. London: Reeve, 1861. 



A work on the British Ferns from the pen of our great botanical 

 chief, and illustrated by the pencil of one of our best floral draughts- 

 men, must attract general attention. We feel sure that a reference 

 to it will always supply some information, accurate in its facts and 

 correct in its delineation. Of course we must not expect too much : 

 the pen of the author cannot go beyond the knowledge which he 



