352 BOTANICAL NEWS. 
of commerce (D. Ebenus) ; another, the beautiful kalumander-wood (D. hirsuta) 
of Ceylon, so much used as an ornamental wood for workboxes, writing-desks, 
Ceylon (D. Ebenaster). “A European species (D. Lotus) produces the famous 
fruit which, according to the ancient romancers, caused oblivion. It is a native 
of Italy ; and another species (D. Embryopteris, or glutinosa), a native of India, 
it so glutinous as to be used in that country for paying boats. The 
whole of these may be introduced with advantage into New South Wales.— 
George Bennett, M.D., F.L.S. 
BOTANICAL NEWS. 
Dr. Rabenhorst, whose Cryptogamic Flora of Saxony, etc., was noticed by 
us a few weeks ago, is now preparing a Cryptogamic Flora of the whole of 
Europe, the publication of which will soon commence 
Sprengel’s herbarium, valuable to some public collection on account of the 
number of ill-described and wrongly-named specimens which the author of the 
16th edition of the ‘Systema Vegetabilium’ has made, has been entirely "d 
portance was brought forward beyond what we have given in another part of i 
our Journal. Prof. Münter reported that an herbarium, collected by Rauwolff 
„ during the years 1560-63, had turned up at Leyden, bearing record years 
Aon ólder than that by the same botanist mentioned by E. Meyer (supra). Dr. 
ne ing the fructification of Orchids. 
Bip., a Mexican Composite plant, and looking very much like gold-dust. The 
first notice of this singular production was published by Dr. Seemann in the 
Proceedings of the Linnean Society. Professor Miinter discusses the term pro- 
thallium, and claims the prothallium of Ferns as his discovery. Professor A. 
Braun explained that there existed only one kind of simple inflorescence, and 
that all others were formed by a composition of it. 
