180 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



in smaller type. The wisdom of this will be seen, even for local 

 purposes, when we consider that the opening up of East Gipps- 

 land will most likelyadd other and conforming genera to our flora. 



We notice a new departure of importance. For years 

 botanists have been content to use many zoological terms, 

 occasionally in quite foreign senses, for various structures in 

 plants. For instance, the food supply for the young plant in 

 the seed, which often chiefly consists of starchy or oily 

 substances, is termed albumen. The Baron avoids the suggeslio 

 falsi by coining the word "albument," which, as it always 

 appears in " albument of the seed," and sufficiently resembles 

 the standard term, is not likely to be at all misleading. So, 

 instead of ovary, appropriated already by the zoologists, the 

 Baron proposes ovulary, which is unexceptionable, and no longer 

 ambiguous. Similarly we have placentary for placenta. The 

 principle is carried out rigorously, so that even such terms as 

 heads (in Compositae, etc.), hairs, bristles, veins, etc., are 

 discarded, and the diminutives — headlets, hairlets, bristlets, 

 venules, etc., are used instead. Of course this is revolutionary, 

 and we shall be interested to note how this proposal to move 

 forward is greeted by the scientific world. There will be 

 difficulty, we imagine, in eliminating or modifying terms which 

 are similarly derived from zoology, and are fixed in names of 

 genera or species. Lahiaice may easily become Lamiacece, but 

 will the Baron be disposed to alter hirsuttis, harhatiis, caudatus f 



We understand that, in addition to the very valuable table of 

 geographical distribution and the woodcuts of 150 plants with 

 their anatomy, in Part II., the Key will be furnished with a 

 map of Victoria, and with a number of lists in Part I., which 

 will give further aid to students. There will be a list of 

 our maritime plants; of our aquatic, parasitic, etc., plants ; of 

 plants with brightly-coloured calyx or corolla ; of unisexual 

 forms, etc., etc. All these matters will render the work of 

 great practical utility, and, moreover, exhibit the great care and 

 labour which the author has bestowed upon it. The difficulties 

 of arranging 1700 species (and 60 have been added to the 

 Victorian flora during the preparation of the Key) in a 

 dichotomous system, so as not to break up the natural alliances, 

 must have been enormous, and we heartily congratulate the 

 Baron on having produced for Victoria one of the handiest, 

 simplest, and most useful floras in the world. 



It may interest some of our botanists to know that SphantJus 

 Australis was found in flower in January, the plants growing 

 abundantly in a grassy paddock close to the township of Lily- 

 dale, also in swamjDy ground near the Olinda Creek, half a mile 

 south of Lilydale. — C. A. Topp. 



