202 
REVIEWS. 
margins of which spring a single pair of leaves, each often several 
feet in length and persisting through the life-time of the plant; 
which life, he said, might extend over a century. These leaves, ac¬ 
cording to this botanist, are the original cotyledonary leaves thrown 
np at the time of germination. Dr. Welwitsch expressed the 
opinion, that the new plant would probably turn out to be ordinally 
distinct from anything previously known, and suggested that the 
genus based upon it should bear the name Turnboa ,— N’t umbo, being 
the name by which, he stated, it was kn own to the natives. 
Not long after the receipt of Dr. Welwitsch’s letter, flowering 
cones of the plant, together with a coloured drawing of it, were re¬ 
ceived by Sir William Hooker from Mr. Baines, an artist then travel¬ 
ling in the Damara Land, and as, shortly after, specimens were received 
from the original discoverer Dr. Hooker was able to exhibit the 
plant and to explain the more prominent peculiarities which it 
offered, at the closing meeting of the Session 1861-2, of the Linnean 
Society. Late last year, a valuable series of large specimens were 
obtained through the offices of Messrs. Monteiro and Andersson, 
enabling Dr. Hooker to continue and extend his previous rather 
restricted observations, and presenting also some additional par¬ 
ticulars of interest. At the first meeting of the current Session 
(1862-8) of the Linnean Society, Dr. Hooker confirmed Welwitsch’s 
opinion that the leaves were the persistent cotyledons, and his 
examination of the flowers, he stated, had led him without hesitation 
to refer the plant to the group Gnetacese, to which, indeed, he 
had assigned it on its first examination. This opinion as to its 
affinities the elaborate memoir now before us wholly substantiates. 
The name Dr. Hooker proposes, with Dr. Welwitsch’s sanction, 
should be altered to Welwitschia ,—Tumbo being applied by South 
African tribes to various plants of dwarf stature. 
Welwitschia , is found on and near to the Western coast of South 
Tropical Africa, about half way between the Equator and Cape. It 
was first discovered by Dr. Welwitsch near Cape Negro, on a plateau 
300—400 ft. above the sea. Mr. Monteiro found it at Mossamedes, 
near the same place, and states also that he met with it on a journey 
inland upon a perfectly dry plain, bare of other vegetation excepting 
a little short grass. It was generally growing near the ruts worn by 
running water during the rainy season. The Portuguese at Cape 
Negro told him that some of the largest specimens grew on the 
banks of the Croquis river. Mr. Andersson, writing to Sir W. 
Hooker from Damara Land, says, he has found it only on the 
“ desperately arid flat stretching far and wide about Waalvisch Bay,” 
between 20° and 23° S. lat.; most common, however, about the 
lower course of the river Swakop. 
Welwitschia is excessively ugly, and one might, apart from its 
leaves and flower-branches, pardonably take it for some huge fun¬ 
goid growth. Indeed, as Dr. Hooker observes, the lobes of its crusty 
disc much resemble masses of the common JPolyporus , used by 
