THE HISTORY OF THE BOTANICAL MAGAZINE xlvii 
later, when Dr. Lyell brought his collections to Kew, the 
plant still showed symptoms of vitality, and was therefore 
transferred to the garden, where it speedily produced 
flowers. 
Bowenia spectabilis (pl. 5398), a native of Eastern Aus- 
tralia, is a remarkable member of a curious family, which 
finds a counterpart in the equally singular South African 
Stangeria paradoxa (pl. 5121). Adenium obesum (pl. 5418), 
Vitis Bainesii (pl. 5472), and Vitis macropus (pl. 5479), are 
characteristic examples of the vegetation of the dry regions of 
Tropical Africa. Helichrysum Mannii (pl. 5431) is a hand- 
some plant, which serves to record the excellent services to 
botany in Western Tropical Africa by Gustav Mann, who, 
with Sir John Kirk, is one of the few botanical explorers of 
Tropical Africa who have long survived their labours. 
Among the numerous “everlasting” flowers of Australia, 
Waitzia corymbosa (pl. 5443) is one of the prettiest and 
most variable, and may have a future in our gardens. It 
was raised by Mr. W. Thompson, of Ipswich, to whom we 
are indebted for an immense number of hardy plants, and 
such as can be cultivated in the open ground in summer. 
Of the splendid Renanthera Lowii (pl. 5475) it is said that 
no more remarkable plant is to be found in the vast and 
varied tribe to which it belongs. The great peculiarity of 
it is that it constantly produces two distinct kinds of 
flower, the lowest pair on the spike being quite differently 
coloured from all the rest. I shall bring this review 
to an end with Veronica Hulkeana (pl. 5484), a native 
of New Zealand, where the genus has reached a greater 
development than in any other part of its very wide area of 
distribution. 
NotasBiteE Events In GARDENING, 
From 1827 to 1864 isa long and eventful period in flower 
gardening, and many interesting and important occurrences 
and changes cannot even claim a mention in this sketch ; 
yet there are some things so inseparably connected with the 
subject that ought not to be passed over altogether. The 
late Mr. George Bentham was so exclusively a botanist 
during the twenty-five years that I knew him that I had 
almost forgotten his connection with the Horticultural Society. 
Bentham became Secretary to the Society in 1829, “at a 
period when by increasing wasteful expenditure it was 
reduced to a very low ebb”; and he held this post until 
1840, when the Society had regained its former prosperous 
