NOTES ON ACACIA. 465 



Section ii, Botryocephalese, and Section iii, Pulchellse,are 

 all Australian, and are far less numerous than Section i. 



Section iv, Gummiferse and Section v, Vulgares, are all 

 African, American, or Asiatic species, with the exception 

 of the cosmopolitan species A. (Vachellia) Famesiana, 

 which extends to Australia. 



The Gummiferse (Section iv) are especially common in 

 North Africa, Asia Minor, Arabia, and Tropical Africa; 

 they are the group that yield the Acacia gum of commerce, 

 and the thorn-bushes characteristic of the African flora. 



Section v (Vulgares), forms the Section next most numer- 

 ous to the Phyllodinese, and is distributed over Africa, 

 Mexico, and Tropical America, India and Asia generally. 

 This section is not so thorny as the Gummiferse, and if 

 thorns are present, they are not of stipular origin. 



Section vi,Filicinse,is a small section confined to America. 



Extra-floral Nectaries (the so-called glands). 

 In this paper I have, in some species, drawn especial 

 attention to the gland which, in Acacia, may be both petiolar 

 and phyllodineous. The term gland refers to a secreting 

 body, and is somewhat loosely used. Bentham used it in 

 reference to Acacia (and other plants) and says "The name 

 of glands is given to several different productions, and 

 principally to the four following": — which he proceeds to 

 define (B. Fl. i, xxiii). At the outset I may say that the 

 term gland, as applied to Acacias, sliould be disused as 

 unscientific, and the word nectaries used instead. A more 

 descriptive term is "Extra-floral nectaries," but this is too t 

 long for frequent use, and hence it is probable that the 

 term nectaries will be employed, leaving the context to 

 explain whether the particular ones referred to are extra- 

 floral or not. In my present paper I will continue to use 

 the term gland for convenience. 



Dd— December 1, 1915. 



