CURRENT LITERATURE 



MINOR NOTICES 



Botanical expedition to southern Brazil. 1 — The recently published volume 

 on the results of the botanical expedition of the Royal Academy of Science of 

 Vienna to southern Brazil in 190 1 contains an account of the Pteridophyta and 

 Anthophyta by Professor R. von Wettstein in collaboration with several promi- 

 nent specialists. The conditions under which the expedition was undertaken, the 

 personnel of the exploring party, the detailed itinerary, and the general physical 

 features of the country visited are briefly set forth in the Einkitung and Rviseberuht. 

 The major part of the volume embodies the taxonomic results of the expedition; 

 the larger families treated and the cooperating botanists are as follows: the 

 Filicineae by H. Christ, Orchidaceae by O. Porsch, Gramineae by E. Hackel, 

 Melastomaceae by C. Rechinger, Cyperaceae by E. Palla, Malpighiaceae by 

 C. Kraltk, Bromeliaceae by C. Mez, Sapindaceae by L. Radlkofer, Yer- 

 benaceae by A. von Hayek, Amarantaceae by A. Heimerl, Gesneriaceae by 



Several smaller families 



are also included. More than 1300 species are recorded from the various groups 

 thus far elaborated, and of this number nearly 100 are new to science. 



The new species are fully characterized, and the descriptions are mostly in 

 Latin ; the author of the Cyperaceae, however, has unfortunately chosen to describe 

 the new species of this family in German, thus marring somewhat the uniformity 

 of the work as a whole. The text is supplemented by numerous illustrations, and 

 certain orchids are beautifully portrayed in color. The publication represents 



HLAND 



rms 



taxonomic literature pertaining to the flora of South America.— J. M. Greenman. 

 Vegetation of Java and Sumatra.— The first and second parts of the seventh 

 . series of Karsten and Schenck's now well-known Vegetationsbilder* is devoted 

 to a dozen plates (with descriptive text) representing the plants of the volcanic 

 regions of Java and Sumatra, and especially the reoccupation of those areas 

 which have been at one time or another devastated by the erupted solid, liquid, or 

 gaseous materials. Among others are three views from Krakatoa. This section 

 by Dr. Ernst sustains the high standard of the work.— C. R. B. 



. Wettstein, R. von, and Schiffner, V. Ergebnisse der botanischen Expedition 

 der kaiserlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften nach Siidbrasilien iqoi. I. Band. 

 Pteridophyta und Anthophyta unter Mitvvirkung zahlreicher Fachmanner herausge- 

 geben von R. von Wettstein. Erster Halbband. Denkschr. Math.-Nat. Kl. Kais. 



Akad. Wiss. 79-^3 1 3- P ls - z6 - 7 ma P- $&*• I2 ' I9 ° 8- 



1 Karsten, G., and Schenck, H., Vegetationsbilder. 4 to. VII Reihe, Heft i, 2. 

 Ernst, A., Die Besiedelung vulkanischen Bodens auf Java und Sumatra, pis. 1-12. 

 Jena: Gustav Fischer, iqoq. A/5. 



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