124 

 REVIEWS 



Britton and Mlllspaugh's Bahama Flora* 



For nearly twenty years the authors of this volume or their 

 immediate associates and predecessors have carried on one of 

 the most exhaustive botanical exploration schemes ever planned. 

 Covering more than 29 islands, 661 cays and hundreds of smaller 

 rocky points in the sea, their explorations have been very thor- 

 ough. The islands are scattered on a long axis of over 600 miles, 

 and comprise in all about 4,400 square miles. Surrounded by 

 considerable depths, "there is no evidence that there ever was 

 land connection with either Florida, Cuba or Hispaniola," 

 although some of the present islands may have been connected. 



This group of islands, none over 200 feet above sea-level, 

 contains 995 Spermatophyta, 33 ferns and their allies, and the 

 mosses, fungi, lichens and algae bring the total up to 1,982. 

 species. Of these 133 are endemic flowering plants, and 52 

 species of non-vascular cryptogams are also endemic. A single 

 species of Marsilea, M. Nashii is said to be endemic on page 

 475, although the authors do not credit the Pteridophytes with 

 any endemics in the table of these in the Introduction. 



In such a purely insular flora the proportion of woody to 

 herbaceous endemic species is interesting as it has been recently 

 much under discussion. In the Bahamas woody endemics 

 total 76, herbaceous 53 and parasites 3. Of these the Euphor- 

 biaceae with 15 endemic species, contain a larger number of 

 endemics than any other family on the island. More will be said 

 as to this endemic element of the Bahama Flora in another 

 place as it appears to throw considerable light on the age and 

 area theory of J. C. Willis. 



Like the series of manuals which the senior author has already 

 issued, or are in preparation, the present volume is carefully 

 keyed, both as to genera and species; and there are keys to the 

 families. With descriptions of the genera and species, and a 

 citation to place of original publication the book is as complete 

 as one could demand. Due to the mistakes of earlier explorers 



* Britton, N. L., and Millspaugh, C. F., The Bahama Flora, pp. i-viii, 1-695. 

 Published by the Authors, New York, 26 June, 1920. Price $6.25. 



