96 Mr Burhill, On a collection of Plants [Feb. 10, 



C. cana has a hoary appearance due to stellate hairs which branch 

 once or rarely a second time ; while G. eriochlona is very densely 

 covered on the stems and below the leaves with a dense wool 

 of tawny shaggy hairs branching 4 — 8 times or even more. 



Morinda citrifolia L. 



Benincasa cerifera Savi. 



Sccevola Kcenigii Vahl. 



Wedelia strigulosa D.C. 



In concluding it may be well to gather together the shreds of 

 information which we possess on New Britain botany, and see 

 what can be constructed out of them. In the various papers 

 hitherto published we find mention of just over 160 species, — a 

 fact which testifies to our ignorance of its flora. Of these species 

 a considerable portion consists of wide-spread plants common on 

 the Pacific and Malayan coasts, and some such as TournefoHia 

 argentea and Bcea Gommersoni R. Br. 1 which are confined to a 

 coral formation. About two-thirds of the whole number are 

 known from German New Guinea, one-seventh from the little- 

 known Admiralty Isles, a fair percentage from the Solomon Isles, 

 and barely one-half from Fiji. A small number of new species, 

 described from specimens from New Britain, have not yet been 

 discovered elsewhere ; but it is very improbable that most of these 

 are endemic forms. 



An island which helps to connect three regions such as 

 Australia, Malaya and Polynesia, may be expected to yield in- 

 teresting results in botanical geography ; but at present many 

 years must pass before this is brought about. 



A few of the specimens in Baron v. Hugel's collection could 

 not be determined : among them were three species of Ficus which 

 were too imperfect, a Macaranga (?) probably new, and some others. 

 Finally, I wish to tender my sincere thanks to the members of the 

 staff of the Kew Herbarium, to Mr C. B. Clarke and to Baron Sir 

 Ferdinand von Mueller for the considerable assistance which they 

 have given me, and most especially to Baron A. von Hligel for the 

 many kindnesses which I have received from him. 



BIBLIOGRAPHY OF NEW BRITAIN BOTANY. 



i. Baker, J. G. A Summary of New Perns, 1874-91. Anns, of 



Bot. v. (1891), p. 480. 

 ii. Bockeler, O. Die auf d. Expedition S.M.S. 'Gazelle' gesam- 



melten Cyperaceen. Engler's Bot. Jahrb. v. (1884), p. 89. 

 in. Engler, A. Die auf d. Expedition S.M.S. 'Gazelle' gesam- 



melten Siphogamen. Engler's Bot. Jahrb. vn. (1886), p. 444. 



1 Clarke, " Cyrtandrece " in De Candolle's Monographic Phanerogamarum, v. 

 1883, p. 145. 



