97 
presented to Kew by G. Maw, Esq. F.L.S. the author of the 
splendid monograph of the genus. Rheum Ribes is an old 
inhabitant of botanical gardens. Itis ornamental both on account 
of its large leaves and its bright red fruits. 
Flora of Tropical Africa.—Part 2 of aay VIL, edited by the 
Director, was published in April. It contains the conclusion of 
r. Rolfe’s or sre 9 the orchids, and that of the Scitaminee 
id Tridee, by Mr. B 
Flora of Simla.—Since his retirement from active service, 
Sean Sir Henry Collett has devoted much of his time to pre- 
paring at Kewa Flora of Simla and the adjacent district. Simla 
itself 1 is sit caret at an elevation of about 7,000 feet, and the area 
included gives a range of altitudes from 3, 000 f eet in the valleys 
to 10,000 feet the summit of Huittoo, hence "she vegetation is 
highly diversified. Including ferns and a few other vascular 
200 figures in the text, all uniformly half natural size, reduced 
from drawings, by Miss M. Smith, of natural size. Sir enry 
has presented the first portion of the original drawings to Kew. 
Didierea mirabilis.—As long ago as 1880 the late Dr. H. Baillon 
described — Soc. Linn. Par. i, p. 258 idierea madaga- 
sc sat - the most singular plants which the botanieal 
yiel 
Cacti ; and the structure of the unisexual flowers is so anomalous 
that the author took some years to decide upon its position in the 
ree system. 
cond species, D. mirabilis, was described (Bull. 2t go 
Nat. pota i, p. 23) by the same botanist i n 1895. This i 
different in habit from the other, being a anle tree, with a 
very short n and long, thiek, cylindrical branches, giving it 
he appeara at a distan nce, of a hu uge Lycopodium. th 
species inhabit : the coast region of south-western Madagascar ; D. 
madagascariensis growing gregariously in arid plains near Tulear, 
about 23° S. lat., and the other in the plains of Morondava, about 
three degrees further north. Mr. Alfred pup the editor of 
the sumptuous s Akad work on the Natural "esed 
of d gas nd in course of publication oe the French 
ment, appears to ‘ae discovered D. madagascariensis, paar po 
genus was dedicated to him. At least Baillon says : ail Je donne 
ce nom a une curieuse plante de Madagascar, observée par M. A. 
Grandidier, non cloin de Tuléar.” D, mirabilis was discovered by 
l Mr. Grandidier pr iamen vs seeds from which 
a few joies w were raised in the €— f the Paris School of 
Medecine. This garden, by the sicui een abolished and the 
plants dispersed. Thanks to the "kind offices of. Mr. A. Franchet, 
n of the Botanical Society of France, and the concurrence 
f Professor Blanchard, Dr. Baillon's successor at the Faculté de 
16829 € 
