_ 119 — 



The Myrsinaceae or Ardisiacae are presented at Eound Island 

 by a small tree, according to Mr. Home near Badula ovalifolia, 

 a Mauritian species of which there is however no specimen in 

 the Royal College Herbarium. 



Of the Asteraceae or composite-flowered plants, are found 

 two, both evidently introduced— first a species of Sonchus or 

 European Sow-Thistle, not however the ',' Laitron " so com- 

 mon here and all over the world, but a smaller and more 

 prickly sort which grows on Plat Island. Secondly, in large 

 quantities though mostly dead from tho drought, an Ageratum, 

 an American genus Avhich has of late years run wild in the 

 cane fields and near old clearings in the forest, having proba- 

 bly spread from the Botanic Gardens, where Mr. Duncan 

 gives among the flowers cultivated, A. conyzoides, which I 

 find from gardening books has the light grey flowers of the 

 one so common here. 



In the next order Comhretaceae, there is a Terminalia, no 

 doubt the one which Col. Lloyd meant, when speaking of 

 " Bois Benzoin," the name given to the species indigenous to 

 Mauritius from the wood being used for incense ; but from 

 which as well as from all other Mascarene species that found 

 by us at Round Island widely difi'ers, as will be seen by the 

 specimens herewith, being more nearly allied according to 

 Mr. Home to the Indian Terminalias, though probably new 

 and undescribed. The only three trees seen, although the 

 trunk of the largest was not above four feet in height and 

 eighteen inches in diameter, had great lateral expansion, their 

 branches extending horizontally between five and twenty to 

 thirty leet. 



Among plants allied to the Myrtle we found only one a 

 Jossinia forming a small shrubby tree varying from 6 to 10 

 feet in height, the leaves of which do not agree with those of 

 any of the genera in the Eoyal College Herbarium and which 

 is probably therefore also new. 



Of the Cinchona family there were two ; the first and com- 

 monest we at once pronounced to be the Fernelia htixifolia of 

 this Island which it much resembles. The second a Fjrostria 

 said by Mr. Home to be nearer to P. ;polymorph(x than to 

 anything else in the Koyal College Herbarium. 



