SHORT NOTES. 849 
On THE Generic NAMES Dant1a and Provvenzatia.—In Bentham 
and Hooker's ‘Genera Plantarum,’ i. 788, there is given, as a 
synonym of Ludwigia, ‘‘ Dantia Thou. Gen. Nov. Madag. n. 49, 
ex DeC., in ae tamen citato nomine Geant’ ” and, indeed, not 
eing a Mase e plant, it could not occur therein. The genus 
was originally ‘tablithe d in the ‘‘ Lettres d’un Médécin des Hopitaux 
du Roy a un autre Médécin de ses Amis,” of which a copy has been 
recently ae for the Library of the Botanical Department of ni 
British Museum. It is apparently a very scarce work, and w 
published at alos in 1710. There is no author’s name eer 
the title-page, but the work was written by Francois Pourfour 
du Petit. The first two letters are respectively upon the human 
brain and chemistry, the third ‘‘contient une critique sur les trois 
espéces de rh ge to 9 des Instituts de Mr. de pO erecta trois 
nouveaux genres de Plantes, et quelques nouvelles Espéce The 
three genera are Dantia, Prouvenzalia, and Calamus. aabdi 
palustris Petit (Ludwigia palustris Ell.) is quoted by Linnzus, 
Sp. Plant. ed. i., 1753, vol. i. p. 120, as * Dantia palustria Petit 
gen. 49, t. 49’’; DeCandolie. Prod. iii. 61, alters it to ‘‘ Du Petit 
Thouars gen. 49, Hooker, in the ‘ Genera Plantarum,’ omits the 
“Du Petit,” so that all trace of the connection of the name with 
the original paper is lost. The name was given in honour of ‘‘ Mr. 
Danti D'Isnard,” whom Linneus subsequently commemorated es 
naming the same plant Isnardia. Prowvenzalia palustris was 
name given by Petit to the ihstt now known as Calla palustris. — 
to commemorate M. de Prouvenza, Physician to the Duchess of 
gen. p. 45,” as a synonym of Calla. Adanson (Fam. Nat. ii. 469) 
copies this, and in the ‘ Genera Plantarum’ it is quoted by Hooker 
if Adanson was the inventor of the name. Calamus, the third 
genus, is a syno of Acorus, and is quoted by Linnzeus (Gen. 
ed.i. 4) as ‘‘ Calamus Aromaticus Petit gen.’’ It is not 
, p. 104) 
mentioned in the ‘ Genera Plantarum.’—H. N. Riptey 
New British Pranrs. — Two very interesting additions to our 
British Flora were announced at the Southport Meeting of the 
British Association by the Ashton-under-Lyne Biological Society, 
viz., Chara Braunii Gmel., first found by myself and Mr. Armitage 
on August 28th, near Ashton-under- Lyne, whilst engaged in working 
up the flora of the district ; and also a Caulinia, probably alagnensis 
Delile, found by Messrs. Lee cage fesse September Ist, in 
the same pe teiey: —Joun WHITEHE 
ope to give me Sig and description of these interesting 
A ide ts in an early number.—Ep. Journ. Bor.] 
British DesMpiez. epee the abtiektion at pp. 290-292 of 
the antan on British Desmidiee, I have been informed that Micras- 
terias brachyptera was gathered by J. ons Esq. ; and the Arran 
gatherings—Cosmarium quadrifarium, Huastrum inerme, and cee 
lagenarivides—by Messrs, John and J ames Bisset,—W. Josnva. 
