1888. | BOTANICAL GAZETTE, 103 
Plant distribution, 
The foundation for the study of geographical botany seems to have. 
been laid by Humboldt and Bonpland’s “ Essai sur la Géographie des 
_ Plantes,” bearing the date of 1805. Since that time it has received con- 
siderable attention from very distinguised botanists, the bibliography of 
the subject showing such names as the DeCandolles, Robert Brown, Wat- 
son, Darwin, Hooker, and our lamented countryman, Prof. Gray. Prob- 
ably Dr. Gray’s most brilliant production was his “ Relation of the Japan- 
ese flora to that of North America.” As fascinating and important as. 
this subject is, the older botanists were necessarily hampered by the 
dearth of material, but the times are now fast ripening for a study of this 
great department. The latest presentation of it lies before us in the 
shape of Drude’s® eight charts, with descriptive text. He divides the flora . 
of the world into fourteen regions as follows: (1) Northern, (2) Central Asia, 
(3) Mediterranean, (4) East Asia, (5) Middle North America, (6) Tropical 
Africa, (7) East African Islands, (8) Indian, (9; Tropical America, (10): 
Cape, (11) Australia, (12) New Zealand, (13) Andes, (14) Antarctic. Each 
of these has its subdivisions. His dealing with the North American flora 
may be taken as an illustration. Nearly all of the British possessions be- 
long to the first or Arctic group, which also includes the southern shores 
of the great lakes and New England, and extends down the Appalachian 
system into North Carolina. Central North America belongs.to his fifth 
group, while Southern Florida and most of Mexico belong to the ninth 
or Tropical American group, which extends southward so as to include 
the bulk of South America. As an illustration of the author’s subdivis- 
ions we may take the Middle North American group, which is nearly co- 
extensive with the United States. The subdivisions are four, viz.: (1) 
| Practical botany. ; ; 
If there is anything in the so-called “practical botany ” it is getting 
DE Dr. O.—Atlas der Pflanzenverbreitung. (Berghaus’ Physikalischer Atlas, Ab- 
3 Dru 
theilung V.) Gotha: Justus Perthes, 1887 
