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xorg] _ CURRENT LITERATURE 469 
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here under consideration is the first of the African series to make its appearance, 
* it is logically the second, and will so Stand i in the completed work. The first 
volume is to give a general picture of the plant world of Africa, together with 
a survey of the ecological conditions. The following three volumes are to 
present detailed descriptions of the characteristic plants, especially of tropical 
Africa. The final volume is to deal with the plant formations and floral 
provinces. 
For many years psi. °% and a number of collaborators have eciectnalig 
exploited the flora icales. Africa, especially that of the German possessions. 
The taxonomic r,t of the Cy breat undertaking have been presented from time 
to time, and nnecial inte- sntemplated i in these volumes a general summary of 
the large features*or-uie African vegetation. The volume noted here gives 
an account of tix  teridophytes, gymnosperms, and monocotyledonous angio- 
sperms. For each “yere is given a general account of its distribution 
and importance in Africa, following which is a more detailed description of the 
more important genera and species. The great wealth of illustrations, many of 
are reproductions from photographs, makes this work the best source of 
family is by plant formations rather than by taxonomic relationships. The 
numerous Cyperaceae are mostly hydrophytes. The palms, of course, are 
humerous, and arg very characteristic of certain formations. The aroids are 
well developed, though fess than in other tropics, and the epiphytic orchids 
are far less numerous and beautiful than in tropical America and Malaysia. 
The Liliaceae occur in great numbers and variety, the aloes in particular hav- 
ing a large display in xerophytic regions. Phytogeographers will await with 
eagerness the remaining volumes of this work 
In 1898 Pax issued the second monograph of ENGLER and Drupe’s Vege- 
tation der Erde, presenting the general features of the vegetation of the Car- 
pdthian Mountains. There has appeared a second volume, which takes up 
certain detailed features of the same interesting region.4 The first part con- 
siders the fossil flora of the Carpathians, especially that of the Tertiary and 
Post- Tertiary.e The Tertiary flora is Upper Miocene, and much_resembles 
the { present Mediterranean flora, and as elsewhere in Europe is rich in forms 
that are now confined to America. It is interesting to note that in the warmer 
eastern Carpathians there are still some specits which have remained as relicts 
from thg Miocene. Since the ice age there has been in the western Carpathians 
‘ ENGLER, A., and Drupe, O., Die Vegetation der Erde. X. ‘Pax, F., Grund- 
ziige der Pflanzenverbreitung in den Karpathen. Band II. pp. vili+-32r map I. 
figs. 29. Leipzig: _Withelm Engelmann. 1908. M 27 
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