A. J. Ewart, P.L.S. 



... Melbourne 



... 207 



F. M. Reader 



... Australia 



... 105 



Royal Botanic Gardens 



... Turin 



... 100 



J. H. Maiden, F.L.S. 



... Sydney 



... 84 



J. Petitmengen 



. . . France 



... 202 

 2,347 



With the exception of those sent to Prince Roland Bona- 

 parte at the request of our Government, all the specimens sent 

 out are natives of Natal. 



During the whole of the past year my two assistants and 

 myself have been fully employed, k large number of specimens 

 have been examined and sent to correspondents, and there 

 still remain many of the older collections which have to be 

 examined and placed in the Herbarium or in the boxes for 

 exchange. A Card Index to all South African plants represented 

 in the Herbarium has been completed, and is now in working 

 order; this will not only save much trouble, but will also be 

 instrumental in saving the specimens from damage by un- 

 necessary handling. To prepare a similar Card Index for the 

 foreign specimens, while quite advisable, is a work which we 

 cannot at present undertake. 



A number of specimens have been sent to us for identifi- 

 cation and information. The following is a list of the most 

 important of them. 



Specimens Examined. 



1. Identification of a specimen of a tree from Cape 

 Colony which proved to be Schotia speciosa (Jacq.) the " Boer- 

 boom " of the Colonists, the unripe legumes are roasted and 

 eaten by the natives, and the bark has been used for tanning. 



2. Identification of an Orchid from Zululand which 

 proved to be Eulophia speciosa (Bolus). 



3. Identification of a grass, Eleusine indica (Gaertn). 

 This grass is figured and described in " Natal Plants," Vol. V, 

 Part 2, Plate 439. The sender extols it as a valuable pasture 

 and fodder grass for the upper districts, and says that " cut 

 when in full seed it makes the best of hay," also that " cattle 

 will eat it when as dry as chips," and on a misty morning will 

 leave other grasses for it. 



4. Identification of specimen of Emex australis (Steinh) 

 erroneously supposed to be poisonous to cattle. 



5. Identification of four specimens of indigenous plants 

 collected in the midland districts, 



