140 Bibliographical Notices, 



2 apicalibus rarissimc transversim connexis dehiscentes. 

 Pollen globosum, vel ellipticum, S-sulcatum. Ovarii vesti- 

 gium nullum. — Florum ? partes ignotse. Achenia 2 distincta, 

 rarius solitaria, summo spicse amentiformis (ei 6 similis) affixa, 

 involucellis omnino vel semi-inclusa, oblonga, subcompressa, 

 plano-couvexa, collateraliaj erecta. Pericarpium siccum, co- 

 riaceum, glaberrimum {mesocarpio fibrillifero), indehiscens, 



. apice glandulseforme pro tubilli transitu pervium, uniloculare. 

 Semen unicum, basi affixum, loculo paulo brevius, apice 

 acutum ; integumenta 2, simplicia, ab inio usque ad medium 

 coalita et membranacea, dehinc superne libera et distincta 

 testa tegmine valde brevior, ore lato aperta ; tegmen superne 

 opacius, crassius, ssepe corrugatum, apice glandula carnosa 

 majuscula clausum; tuhillus e centre glandulse productus, 

 erectus, elongatus, per foramen pericarpii prolatus, et ssepe 



. longe exsertus, filiformis, teres^ fistuloso-membranaceus, per- 

 sistens, apice irregulariter laceratus aut breviter 2-labiatus, 

 labiis aut brevibus concavis et subsequalibus, aut inconstanter 

 insequalibus ; hilum cum chalaza basali confusum, substi- 

 pitatum; raphe nulla; albumen oblongum, compressum, ob- 

 pyriforme^ carnosulum, apice ad glandulam adhserens, em- 

 bryone paulo longius; cotyledones oblongse, compressse, sub- 

 foliacese; radicula teres, supera, hilo contraria^ cotyledonibus 

 sequilonga vel dimidio brevior et earum sexta parte latitudinis. 

 SufFrutices cosmopolitani, e basi ramosissimi, erecti, humifusi vel 

 alte scandentes ; ramulis teneribus, scepius virgatis, oppositis, 

 terniSy aut fasciculatis, in axillis nodosis ; folia rudimentaria 2, 

 oppositaj vel plura, primum in vaginam brevem amplexicaulem 

 apice 2-Z-^-fissam coalita^ demum sape disjuncta ; flores parvi, 

 spicati ; spicse parvulce, in axillis sessiles, solitarice, bince aut 

 plures glomeratcBj vel in ramulum brevem terminantes, involu- 

 cellis viridibus, perigonio sa2^ius aurantiaco, colurana staminali 

 viridescente, antheris Icete fiavis, 



[To be continued.] 



BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES. 



The British Ferns. By Sir W. J. Hooker ; with Drawings by 

 W. Fitch. 8vo. London: Reeve, 1861. 



A vv^oRK on the British Ferns from the pen of our great botanical 

 chief, and illustrated by the pencil of one of our best floral draughts- 

 men, must attract general attention. We feel sure that a reference 

 to it will always supply some information, accurate in its facts and 

 correct in its delineation. Of course we must not expect too much : 

 the pen of the author cannot go beyond the knowledge which he 



