360 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



four of them are not alone quite different from the parent plants, but 

 differ also among themselves so as to be like four different forms, with 

 marked vigour of stem. The raiser (Mr. Ansorge) believes the variation 

 is entirely due to climatic influences. These seedlings have never 

 suffered from the effects of the severe German winter, though the ordinary 

 plants are often killed during very cold winters. — G. B. 



Tibet or High Asia, The Flora of : being a Consolidated account 

 of the various Tibetan botanical collections in the herbarium of the 

 Royal Gardens, Kew, with an Exposition of what is known of the flora 

 of Tibet. By W. Botting-Hemsley, assisted by H. H. W. Pearson 

 (Jour. Linn. Soc. vol. xxxv. pp. 124-265, with a map). — In this 

 interesting paper an exhaustive resume is given of our present knowledge 

 of the flora of this part of Asia. A history is given of the journeys of 

 the various travellers who visited this district, and gave any information 

 concerning the plants growing there. The boundaries and physical 

 characteristics of Tibet are then described, and the climate is dwelt on 

 at some length, though it is admitted that the data are very incomplete. 

 Short itineraries of the various travellers are then given, with notes on 

 the flora and fauna. These are followed by a classified list of all the 

 plants in the joint collections, with their localities and the works in which 

 they are described. Considering the size of the area (about 20 degs. of 

 longitude by 10 degs. of latitude) from which the plants were obtained, 

 the number contained in the combined collections is very small, only 283 

 species being enumerated: these belong to 119 genera and 41 natural 

 orders. The Cruciferce, Composite, and Grandnece are far more largely 

 represented than any other order, for they contain 42 genera, which 

 are very evenly divided between them, and 109 species, of which 53 

 belong to the Composites. It is curious that only one fern and no plant 

 belonging to the Orchidacece should have been found. The flora, owing 

 to the altitude of the district and its dry ungenial climate, is a very peculiar 

 one : there are very few annual plants, and it is mentioned that " a very 

 large proportion of the species are perennial herbaceous plants, having 

 long, often very long, thick tap roots, almost no stem, which may be 

 either unbranched bearing a single or compound inflorescence, or very 

 shortly branched, bearing several inflorescences, a rosette of leaves when 

 unbranched, commonly lying flat on the ground, and an almost sessile 

 inflorescence nestling in the centre of the rosette of leaves." When the 

 stems are branched the leaves are usually very small and numerous. It 

 appears that the tallest plant met with in these regions is Clematis 

 orientalis, which grows to the height of one foot. Some very interesting 

 tables are given comparing the Tibetan and Himalayan floras together. 

 The paper concludes with a very complete bibliography and index. 



67. S. S. 



Tigridias: Their Culture. By G. B. Mallett (Garden, No. 1582, 

 1). 174 ; 15/3/1902). — There are about eight distinct Tigridias, which, 

 although much alike in form and habit, differ in size and colouring. 

 These Tigridias are fully described in this article, and their cultural 

 requirements are given. — E. T. C. 



