June 21, 1906] 



NA TURE 



171 



noliceable genus is Kibes, for wliicli llie author 

 favours ihe inclusion amongst natives of llie species 

 alp'inum, grossiilaria, iiii;rnm. and rithrum. 'Ilie 

 compilation of this groii|) has demanded much 

 thought, and whether one agrees or disagrees with 

 the discrimination, it is an extremely valuable 

 expression of opinion, and alTords the opportunity 

 to those interested to place on record any appar- 

 entlv natural localities for these species. Less in- 

 teresting, but forming an integral part of the subject, 

 are the more obvious aliens, including introductions, 

 casuals, and what may be termed drifts. The book 

 fullv bears out the expectations that were formed of 

 ils original and critical character, and to the author's 

 wife due credit must be given for enabling the book 

 to take shape when the pressure of official duties 

 seemed likely to delay its publication. 



(2) The early attempts to classify the Indian aconites 

 were prompted bv the desire to trace the source of 

 the poisonous root known .as Nepal aconite or Bikh. 

 In 1802, when the I'^ast India Company decided to 

 send a mission to Nepal, Dr. F. Hamilton was de- 

 puled to join the expedition in a scientific cqiacity, 

 and he endeavoured without success to identify Bikh. 

 After him Wallich took up the collection of Nepal 

 .iconites, but, unfortunately, his plants assigned to 

 Aconitunt ferox were not the source of Bikh, although 

 such was assumed. The confusion so originated was 

 increased when, later on, the same scientific name 

 was applied to different plants from Kumaon and 

 (i.irwhal, and these and other misnomers have con- 

 tinued to the present day. To Sir George Watt much 

 credit is due for attempting to clear up the nomen- 

 clature. In touring through the localities mentioned he 

 spared no pains to collect plants and to ascertain their 

 vernacular names with any general information, and 

 this has materially helped Dr. Stapf in preparing the 

 present monograph. Most of the species fall into 

 two sections — Lycoctonum, containing perennials, 

 .and Napellus, containing biennials. The latter is the 

 important group including Aconitum spicatum, the 

 true Bikh, and the allied Nepal species, Acoiiitiim 

 liuiiualiim. termed Bikhoma, also Acniiititm hetero- 

 pbyllum, which contains a bitter but non-poisonous 

 substance, atisinc, and a similar species, Aconitum 

 pahnatum. Dr. Stapf decides against the occurrence of 

 AconitiDH napellus in India, the nearest congener 

 being the poisonous species Aconitum soongaricum, 

 of which the properties are unknown. In addition 

 to the task of discriminating between the names 

 ascribed to herbarium specimens and establishing the 

 identity of vernacular designations, Dr. Stapf works 

 out a classification based upon the anatomical struc- 

 ture of the roots. For the biennial species he dis- 

 tinguishes three types of root, the first, normal, show- 

 ing one continuous ring of cambium; in the second 

 the cambium is separated into several portions, and 

 the bundles appear as star-shaped masses embedded 

 in uniform tissue; the third is characterised bv cam- 

 bium bands having- a circular or horseshoe-shaped 

 cross-section. 



(3) The colony of Surinam, or Dutch Guiana, has 

 NO. 191 2, VOL. 74.] 



been visited by a large number of plant-collectors, of 

 whom the most important, all about the middle of 

 the last century, were Hostmann, Kapplcr, Focke, 

 Splilberger, and Kegel, and quite recently Went and 

 the author. .'\ considerable number of the plants sent 

 to Europe by the earlier collectors had been previously 

 worked out, and a list of some fifty papers dealing 

 with the classification of selected [jortions front 

 different collections is given under the literature; but 

 this is the first attempt to prepare a complete list of 

 the vascular plants. The author has discovered twelve 

 new species, including two in Podostemaceee, two 

 in Melastomaceas, one in Loranthaceae, and a Vanilla. 

 Looking through the orders, the Leguminosje are 

 the most abundant, then the OrchidacetE, Gramineze, 

 and Melastomaceas in descending order. The Mal- 

 pighiacea;, Sapindaceae, rmd Gutti ferae are propor- 

 tionately well represented, and among the ferns Poly- 

 podiaccs and Hymenophyllaceae. .Some of the more 

 important genera are Miconia, Ipomoea, Piper, 

 Peperomia, Inga, Schizaea, Vanilla, and the tropical 

 .\nierican genus Dichaa. A tabulated compari-^on is 

 made with the floras of British Guian.i, French 

 Guiana, and the Amazon district, showing that about 

 60 per cent, of the plants of Surinam occur in each 

 of these regions, and that about 14 per cent, are 

 endemic. 



In the phytogeographical survey reference is made 

 to a typical mangrove vegetation found in the river 

 estuaries that gives place to a littoral alluvial belt. 

 The vegetation of the river banks is extremely rich, 

 mention being made of the araceous Montrichardia 

 arborescens, Pachira aquatica, and Cacoucia coccinea. 

 Further inland there are plains on higher ground 

 called savannahs, but differing from the true 

 savannahs or from the campos' of Brazil, where 

 sedges, grasses, species of Schizaea, Eriocaulaceae, 

 and Melastomaceae are abundant. In the primitive 

 forest Selaginellas and hymenophyllaceous ferns find 

 a suitable habitat, while Tecoma lencoxylon, Mimu- 

 sops Balata, Eriodendron anfractuosum, and certain 

 Lecythidacese are amongst the important trees. 



In addition, a list of vernacular names is given, and 

 a few illustrations of typical plant formations that 

 are excellent ; also figures of the new species are 

 provided and a map of the country. As Dr. Pulle has 

 been at considerable pains to consult the principal 

 collections in Holland and elsew'here, the enumeration 

 is complete, and the volume forms a valuable con- 

 tribution to the botany of tropical South .America. 



(4) To bryologists in this country Lindberg's system, 

 in which the cleistocarpous mosses are incorporated 

 with stegocarpous forms, is the most familiar, as- 

 Braithw-aite and Dixon have both followed this ar- 

 rangement. On the Continent, Brotherus has also, 

 adopted Lindberg's system in his classification of 

 the mosses in the " Naturliche Pflanzenfamilien." 

 Mr. Roth has preferred to conform more closely 

 to Schimper's grouping, and in this respect and 

 others his classification is v^ry similar to that of 

 Limpricht in " Rabenhorst's Kr\-ptogamen flora." 

 He retains a large number of independent genera 



