43 t Mr. G. Mimby on the Botanical Productions 



many of the common European species. The old Roman roads 

 which still exist in the immediate neighbourhood of Algiers are 

 rich in rare species : under the shade of the wild olive-trees 

 which overhang these roads are found Lycopodium complanatum, 

 Grammitis leptophylla,Aspleniumpalmatum> Trachelium cceruleum, 

 Campanula dichotoma, Sedum hcptapetalum, Scrophularia trifoliata 

 and mellifera, Allium triquetrum, many Ophryses, and other in- 

 teresting plants, whilst the trees themselves are festooned with 

 Clematis cirrhosa, which is covered with flower in December, 

 Smilax mauritanica, Convolvulus sepium, wild vine, Tamus com- 

 munis, Aristolochia altissima, Rosa sempervirens, and in some 

 parts Ephedra altissima and Equisetum ramosissimum. 



The province of Oran affords the richest harvest of rare plants, 

 both on the coast and in the interior. In the sandy plains of 

 that province the Cynomorium coccineum is common, and in the 

 brackish water lakes are found Duricea helicophylla and Ruppia 

 trichodes, two new species of plants found by M. Durieu. Near 

 Saida is found the curious Otocarpus virgatus, a new plant of the 

 family of Cruciferse. This family has some very curious repre- 

 sentatives in this province, and which are not found except in 

 Algeria; such are Condylocarpus muricatus, Psychine stylosa, 

 Lonchophora Capiomontiana, and Bunias prostrata. The greatest 

 number of species of plants in Algeria may be reckoned in the 

 family of Leguminosse. The neighbourhood of Oran furnishes 

 several new species of Genista, such as G. cephalantha, Spach, G. 

 Duricsi, Sp., G. spartio'ides, Sp., G. numidica, Sp., G. ulicina, Sp., 

 G. atlantica, Sp., G. erioclada, Durieu, all of which are figured 

 in the splendid work now publishing by the French government, 

 upon the labours of the Scientific Commission sent to Algeria a 

 few years ago to explore its productions in natural history. The 

 family of Leguminosse also presents us with a number of species 

 of Medicago, some of which are new, viz. M. corrugata, Dur., 

 M . plagiospira, Dur., M. secundiflora, Dur., which are figured in 

 the work above-mentioned. In the same family we have some 

 interesting plants amongst the pea tribe, such as Orobus atro- 

 purpureus, Desf., which covers the meadows in certain localities 

 on the plain of Mitidja near Algiers, and flowers in April. In 

 my catalogue of the plants of Algiers I have described a new 

 species of Lathyrus, under the name of L. luteus ; it climbs the 

 hedges near Algiers, and resembles very much L. sylvestris, L., 

 but its yellow flowers and filiform stipules constitute it a distinct 

 species. Lathyrus Clymenum and L. tingitanus, L., the latter of 

 which is commonly cultivated in our gardens under the name of 

 Tangier pea, are both very common in the hedges and brush- 

 wood. 



It was my intention to have passed in review each family of 



