WalUcNs Plantce Rariores AsiaticcE. 7 1 1 



namely, D. trinervis, retilsus, Spanoghe/, littoralis, frracllis, 

 and Hasselt//. The essential generic characters of Diptero- 

 carpus are, calyx in the mouth irregularly 5-cleft, with two 

 opposite segments longer than the rest, and strap-shaped ; 

 corolla 5-petaled, and folded in a convolute manner previously 

 to expansion ; the stamens numerous ; the anthers elongately 

 linear, and tipped with a bristly point; fruit, a woody nut, 

 not opening, by abortion one-celled, and involucred by the 

 enlarging calyx : the seed in most species is large. It will 

 give some idea of the magnificence of these trees, to re- 

 mark that Dipterocarpus trinervis attains the height of from 

 150 to 200 feet, and that its elliptical leaves are from seven 

 inches to more than a foot in length, and from four to seven 

 inches broad. The remarkable feature in this family, of each 

 fruit having two wings, as expressed in the word Dipterocarpus, 

 is very interesting. These wings are formed by the progressive 

 lengthening of the longer segments of the calyx, and in some 

 species of the genus attain the length of three inches : in D. 

 trinervis they are 3-nerved. 



In the plan of the Flora Javce, it deserves admiration, that 

 the subjects are arranged in their natural orders, and all the 

 subjects belonging to any one natural order are published con- 

 secutively ; while in most instances the characters of a natural 

 order ai^e given precedently to the characters, and descrip- 

 tions, and figures, of the plants included in that order. 



WallicJ^ NathanieU M.D. F.R.S. &c. : Plantas Rariores 

 Asiaticae; or, Figures, coloured, and Descriptions of Two 

 hundred and Ninety-five selected unpublished East Indian 

 Plants. In 3 vols, imperial folio. London, 1832. 36/. 



In our Vol. VII, p. 206 — 212. we have given short notices 

 of a hundred plants figured in the first volume of this very 

 splendid work. Since tiiat time two additional volumes have 

 been published, and with these the work is now completed in 

 three volumes. Two hundred and ninety-five plates of plants 

 are presented, and an engraved map of India, which is deemed 

 equivalent to five plates of plants. On this map are indicated 

 the routes of the following travellers who have severally ex- 

 plored various parts of India, to the end of increasing our 

 acquaintance with the plants of that vast continent: — Mr. Fin-> 

 layson, Dr. Hamilton, General Hardwicke, M. Leschenaulfc 

 de Latour, Mr. Moorcroft, Mr. Royle, Colonel Sykes, Dr. 

 Wallich, and Dr. Weight. India abounds profusely in species 

 of plants ; and many of them are extraordinarily beautiful, as 

 is testified by not a few of the figures of those selected for 

 illustration in the work of which we are speaking; but we 



z z 4 



