250 Gycacls. 



grown dried leaves, and a male cone, to the Koyal Gardens, 

 Kew, in 1863. From these materials the plate and description 

 have been made, and, in accordance with Mr. Hill's desire, as 

 well as our own, we have attached the name of the present 

 enlightened Governor of Queensland (Sir George F. Bowen, 

 G.C.M.G., Captain and Governor-in- Chief) to the genus, in 

 recognition no less of that officer's position as Governor of the 

 district of Australia in which the plant was found, than of his 

 liberal encouragement to botany, and of Mr. Hill's exertions in 

 particular. As a genus, the most prominent character of 

 Bowenia is the compound leaf, its general characters (all but 

 shape), texture, and venation; the leaflets do not differ from 

 those of Macrozamia, and are so very similar to those of some 

 West Indian Zamias that it is difficult to distinguish them 

 generically, except that in Bowenia the leaflet is decurrent by 

 the petiole, and not articulate with the rachis. The habits of 

 growth, caudex, etc., entirely accord with that of the South 

 American Zamias, as does the male amentum ; the female amen- 

 tum and fruit are both at present unknown, but we trust ere 

 long they will be detected and published." 



Bowenia is a unique example of a cycad, possessed of leaves 

 which are more than once divided — the normal character is tho 

 pinnately divided frond, as shown in Fig 2. The plant whose 

 leaf we have selected as an example is one possessed of peculiar 

 interest, as we have before mentioned, on account of its great 

 resemblance to the fern family in its venation. Its stem is short 

 and globular, and, unlike most of the family, it is not marked 

 with the scars of fallen leaves. When first introduced into 

 this country, now about twelve or fourteen years ago, the plants 

 from their novelty realized large sums of money — several steins 

 selling for £5 or moro a-piece. 



One of the finest collections of living Tspecimens of this 

 family in Europe, if not, indeed, tho richest, is that at our 

 National Botanic Garden at Kew. A very largo number of 

 species may there be seen growing in all their native luxuriance 

 in I he magnificent Palm Mouse. Fig. 1 will givo an idoa of 

 one of these, vrhich must be of enormous age; it is probably 

 one of the oldest plants in fche garden, and must have passed 

 through many vicissitudes in its native land ero it was trans- 

 ported to our country. Tho lower parts of the stem are 

 partially charred upon (lie outside, which looks as though it had 

 suffered in one or more of the bush fires so common in that 

 country. hut it has survived all its trials, and is now in robust 

 health, and will probably be so, Ave might almost say, for cen- 

 turies to come. Tbc garden of James Yates, Esq., of Lauder- 

 dale House, Highgate, also contains a magnificent collection 

 of cycads, including many rare species. In the Botanic Garden 



