464 



Selago flourishes in the cool climate of the higher mountains, in com- 

 pany with Calluna vulgaris and Blechnum boreale. 



Notice of the * London Journal of Botany,^ Nos. 44, dated August , 

 1845, to No. 50, dialed February 1846, inclusive. 



No. 44. — The first article is entitled " Notes of a Botanical visit to 

 Madras, Coimbatore and the Neelgherry Mountains," by George 

 Gardner. This embraces Mr. Gardner's personal adventures and re- 

 marks, during an excursion from Ceylon to the residence of Dr. 

 Wight ; interspersed, too, with some valuable observations on the 

 structure and technical characters of the plants seen on the journey. 

 The following passage may have some interest and instruction for our 

 younger readers. 



About Coimbatore grows the Ficus Benjamina, " very remarkable 

 for the profusion of roots which it throws down from its branches. 

 These, when they reach the ground, become secondary stems, as in 

 the true Banyan tree. Those who wish additional facts to prove that 

 the wood of exogenous trees is formed by bud-roots, have only to look 

 at one of these trees to be fully convinced of the truth of this beauti- 

 ful doctrine. The main stem of some of them, indeed, I may say all, 

 does not form one solid mass, as usually occurs in other trees, but is 

 a congeries of thick, branching roots, which come down from the 

 lower ends of the large branches, surround the original shoot or stem, 

 and overlay each other in such an open reticulated manner, that day- 

 light can often be seen through a trunk several feet in diameter." 



The next is an elaborate article upon the Piperaceae of Hooker's 

 herbarium, by a learned botanist of Holland, and is entitled, " Ani- 

 madversiones in Piperaceas Herbarii Hookeriani ; auctore Dr. F. A. 



* The Editor begs to observe that the notices thus signed are not written by himself, 

 but are kindly contributed by a correspondent. While thus disclaiming the merit of 

 such notices, the Editor also wishes to save his subscribers the labour of detecting dis- 

 crepancies between the opinions expressed in different anonymous articles. " Many 

 men of many minds '' is part of an old nursery-rhyme, and as the anonymous papers are 

 printed verbatim and without prior consultation or collusion on the part of the respec- 

 tive writers, it is almost unavoidable that " many " opinions should also from time to 

 time be broached. The mention of Mr. Forbes's paper in the present article has led us 

 to append this foot-note ; since a notice of that paper may hereafter be contributed 

 by another botanist. 



