172 BOTANY OF CONGO. 



Pterocarpus lunatus, L. I have compared the plant from 

 Congo with an authentic specimen from the Linnean her- 

 barium, the examination of which proves that the appearance 

 of ferruginous pubescence in the panicle, noticed in Linne's 

 description, is the consequence of his specimen having been 

 immersed in spirits. 



Several of the plants included in the fourth list, I am 

 inclined to consider varieties only of the species to which 

 they are referred ; but I have placed them among the more 

 doubtful plants of this list, as their differences seem to be 

 permanent, and are such as admit of being expressed. One 

 of these is 



Cardiospermum grandiflorum, Sw. of which the specimens 

 from Congo differ somewhat in inflorescence from the West 

 India plant. 



Faullinia pinnata, L. is distinguished rather remarkably 

 from the American plant by the figure of the leaflets, which 

 approach to cuneiform, or widen upwards, but I can per- 

 ceive no other difference. 



Pteroca/pus Ecastojiliylluni, L. differs merely in the want 

 of the very short acumen or narrow apex of the leaf, which 

 I have constantly found in all the West India specimens I 

 have examined. 



GiseJcia jjJiarnaceoideSy L. from Congo, has nearly linear 

 leaves ; but I have seen specimens from Koenig with leaves 

 of an intermediate form. 



I shall conclude this essay, already extended considerably 

 beyond my original plan, with a general statement of the 

 proportion of new genera and species contained in Professor 

 Smith's herbarium. 



485] The whole number of species in the collection is 

 about 620 ; but as specimens of about thirty of these are 

 so imperfect as not to be referable to their proper genera, 

 and some of them not even to natural orders, its amount 

 may be stated at 590 species. 



Of these about 250 are absolutely new: nearly an equal 

 number exist also in different parts of the west coast of 

 equinoctial Africa and not in other countries ; of which, 



