THE 
JOURNAL OF BOTANY 
BRITISH AND FOREIGN. 
REE SEAR 
R. BROWN’S LIST OF MADEIRA PLANTS. 
By James Britten, F.L.S. 
Tue first published list of Madeira plants appears to be the 
‘* Verzeichniss der auf Madeira wildwachsenden Pflanzen” given in 
Leopold von Buch’s Physicalische Beschreibung der Canarischen Inseln 
(1825), pp. 189-199. This is usually quoted as a that author— 
é.g. in De Candolle’ s Prodromus, the Index Kewensis, and, whi ch is 
more remarkable, in Lowe’s Flora of Madeira, althotigh the last- 
named author ascribes many of the novelties to Solander. There 
can, however, be no doubt that the author of the list, and conse- 
quently the authority for the names first printed therein, is Robert 
mia: von Buch idk at the head of it the following note :— 
“Dieses V schon vor vielen Jahren, von Robert Brown 
aus Uagion s Ioutnal, pin Londner Herbarien und aus einige Tage 
eigener Anzicht, zusammengetragen und mir giitigst mitgetheilt 
worden.” It would seem that von Buch became acquainted with 
Brown's work after the reading of his paper on Canary Island plants 
in November, 1817; for when the paper was published in 1819 in 
Wekindiingen Akad. Berlin, 1816-17, al added a “ Nachtrag”’ of 
eighteen species on the author rity 0 of Bro 
The omission of the list from the ‘ Collected Works of Robert 
rown”’ is difficult to understand. Mr. Lowe’s acknowledgment 
of indebtedness both to Brown and Bennett, and the intimate re- 
lations existing between the two last-named, as well as Bennett’s 
intimate knowledge of what was contained in the Department of 
Botany and his well-known carefulness as a bibliographer, all 
oe to make explanation difficult: the fact, however, remains 
no reference to the Madeiran list is to be found in the 
: PBallectet orks.”’ 
Brown's MS.. from which the published list is taken, is in the 
Department of Botany of the British Museum; it contains an 
enumeration of ‘‘ about 600 species,”’ and corresponds in the main 
With that Sak ls by Buch, which includes 409; the difference in 
n’s 
number bein sree | accounted for by the inclusion in Brown 
MS. of balbvaied plant 
Banks 
and Balanites were in Madeira Sept. 13-18, 1768; a 
Journat or Borany.—Von, 42. [Janvary, 1904.] B 
