544 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
June  18,  1903. 
yielded  excellent  results,  proving  very  effective  for  all  kinds  of 
aphis.  Another  exceedingly  good  point  is  that  it  has  proved 
harmless  to  such  tender  plants  as  Begonias,  the  blooms  of  which 
are  often  affected  by  other  vaporisers.  With  these  good  i^oints, 
coupled  with  cheapness*.  I  feel  sure  it  will  be  very  useful.” 
Notes  on  Plant  Distribution. 
(Continued  from  page  449.) 
The  Flora  of  South  Africa  at  once  presents  a  sharp  contrast  to 
that  of  North  Mexico  or  any  other  part,  its  generic  components 
being  for  the  most  part  entirely  different,  and  the  species  belong¬ 
ing  to  some  of  them  are  often  so  concentrated  that  they  do  nob 
:  xteiid  to  the  northern  boundary  (the  Tropic  of  Capricorn).  It 
is  an  exceedingly  rich  and  varied  Flora,  and  would  appear  to  be 
of  great  antiquity;  probablyj  taking  area  for  area,  a  larger 
number  of  species  are  found  here  than  in  any  other  j^art  of  the 
world. 
South  Africa. 
In  physical  features  South  Africa  presents  some  analogy  with 
North  Mexico,  since  there  is  a  lower  coast  region  and  an  elevated 
interior  of  from  2,000ft  to  5,000ft  above  sea  level.  The  annual 
rainfall  on  the  west  coast  is  from  Sin  to  5in,  increasing  eastward 
at  the  middle  part  to  between  lOin  and  20in,  thence  half-way 
to  the  east  coast  to  SOin,  and  the  remainder  to  between  SOin 
and  40in,  with  a  few  wetter  localities  on  the  coast.  Different 
parts  vary  somewhat  in  the  character  of  their  Flora,  but  these 
are  details  which  cannot  be  entered  into  here,  the  present  object 
being  merely  to  contrast  the  Floras  of  the  regions  mentioned  by 
an  enumeration  of  some  of  their  characteristic  genera  which  are 
in  cultivation  or  are  generally  well  known.  There  are,  of  course, 
in  South  Africa  many  of  the  wide-spread  genera,  such  as  Hibiscus, 
Senecio,  IiDomsea,  Yernonia,  and  Ranunculus.  Two  species  of 
the  latter  genus  have  large  peltate  leaves,  only  matched  else¬ 
where  by  the  New  Zealand  R.  Lyalli.  The  Flora  is  noteworthy 
for  the  numerous  genera  it  contains,  which  have  more  than 
twenty-five  species,  as  the  numbers  appended  to  some  of  the 
genera  nained  will  show. 
Forest  regions  occur  along  the  southern  and  eastern  parts, 
and  in  the  north  and  east  of  the  Transvaal,  but  in  the  interior 
trees  are  comparatively  few,  and  often  entirely  absent.  Scattered 
Acacias,  however,  are  a  marked  feature  in  the  landscape  in  some 
parts.  Bushes  Gft,  10ft,  or  sometimes  up  to  20ft  in  height,  dwarf 
shrublets,  grasses,  an  abundance  of  bulbous  and  tuberous  rooted 
plants,  herbaceous  perennials  and  succulents  compose  the  chief 
part  of  the  vegetation.  To  this  region  our  gardens  are  in¬ 
debted  for  a  large  number  of  decorative  plants,  as  the  following 
list  of  genera  will  show.  The  numbers  in  brackets  indicate  the 
number  of  South  African  species  (exclusive  of  others)  belonging 
to  the  genus. 
Among  trees  and  .shrubs  some  of  the  more  noteworthy  are 
Podocarpus  (Yellowwood),  Pteroxylon  (Sneezewood),  C'aloden- 
dron,  Sparmannia,  Aberia,  Greyia,  Protea  (60),  Leucadendron 
(70),  Phygelius,  Akocanthera,  Sutherlandia,  Freylinia,  Peddiea, 
Burchellia,  Melianthus,  &c.  Of  shrublets  and  herbaceous  or 
softwoodecl  plants  some  of  the  best  known  are  Pelai'gonium 
(180),  Gnidia  (50),  Murattia  (60),  Hermannia  (120),  Agathosma 
(100),  Heliophila  (80),  Mesembryanthemum  (about  400),  Erica 
(over  400X  Aspalathus  (160),  Helichry,sum  (150),  Arctotis  (30), 
Nemesia  (30),  Selago  (112),  Charieis,  Frsinia  (50),  Streptocarpus, 
Moschosma,  Strelitzia,  Stobsea,  Gazania  (25),  Dimorphotheca, 
Asparagus  (44),  and  many  others.  Succulents  are  represented 
l)y  Crassula  (160),  Rochea,  Caralluma,  Huernia,  Hoodia,  Stapelia 
(70),  Pachypodium,  Euphorbia,  Aloe  (70),  Apicra,  Haworthia 
(64),  Gasteria  (46),  and  Bulbine  (25).  Some  of  the  chief 
bulbs  are  Oxalis  (120),  Morsea  (45),  Babiana  (26),  Gladiolus  (85), 
YJatsonia,  Ixia,  Yallota,  Freesia,  C’livia,  Hsemanthus  (31), 
Amaryllis,  Brunsvigia,  Nerine,  Lachenalia  (42),  Ornithogalum 
(73),  Albuca  (34),  Agapaiithus,  and  Eucomis.  Among  thosor 
which  have  thick  rootstocks,  or  tuberous  roots,  are  Schizoglossum 
(69).  Brachystelma,  Ceropegia,  Kniphofia  (32),  Sandersonia, 
Authericum  (55),  Richardia,  and  Aponogetou.  Orchids,  with 
the  exception  of  a  few  species  (mostly  belonging  to  Angi'secum 
and  Mystacidium),  are  terre.strial,  of  which  some  of  the  best 
known  are  Eulophia,  Lissochilus,  Stenoglottis,  Disa  (100), 
Satyrium  (57),  Disperis,  Corycium,  Bartholina,  Pterygodium, 
and  the  wide-spread  Habenaria. 
Of  parasites  there  are  several  species  of  Yiscum  and  Loran- 
thus  on  trees,  and  on  roots  the  genei’a  Hyobanche,  Aulaya,  and 
the  remarkable  genera  Sareophyte  and  H.ydnora.  Besides  the 
above  the  whole  of  the  orders  Penteacese,  which  are  very  pretty 
.'hrubs,  and  about  half  the  order  Restiacese  (the  other  half  being 
Australian,  with  about  half  a  dozen  elsewhere),  are  confined  to 
the  south  and  south-west  of  this  region. 
A  comparison  of  these  genera  with  those  of  North  Mexico 
or  an.v  other  part  of  America  will  show  how  exceedingly  distinct 
the  two  Floras  are.  At  the  same  time,  it  is  highly  interesting] 
to  note  that  there  are  a  few  genera  which  only  occur  in  America 
and  Africa  and  its  i.slands,  such  as  Sphseralcea,  Hoffmanseggia, 
rdonedora,  Hermannia,  Parkinsonia,  Melasma,  all  of  which 
occur  in  Mexico  and  South  Africa,  whilst  the  curious  genus 
Thamno.soma  has  the  species  in  California,  in  the  Transvaal, 
in  tropical  Africa,  and  in  Socotra.  Some  other  genera  alsO'  have 
species  (and  occasionally  it  is  the  same  identical  specie.s)  in  both 
regions.  This  curious  distribution  presents  a  problem  that  is 
not  easy  of  solution,  for  neither  dispersal  b,v  winds,  oceanic 
currents,  nor  birds,  satisfactorily  account  for  the  presence  of  the 
above  mentioned  and  other  genera  in  these  two  areas,  which 
are  separated  by  such  a  vast  expanse  of  ocean. — N.  E.  Brown, 
F.L.S.,  Kew. 
(To  1  e  continued.) 
A  Letter  from  Khartoum. 
A  gardener  friend,  lately  arrived  at  Khartoum,  sends  us  the 
following  letter:  — 
“  It  was  a  long  and  dusty  journey  from  Cairo  and  a  wonderful 
one,  for,  till  one  has  seen  the  endles.s  desert,  you  can  have  no 
idea  of  it — sand !  sand !  sand !  perhaps  a  few  rocks,  and  no  vege¬ 
tation  as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach.  Yet  there  are  always  vultures 
in  the  air,  which  soon  congregate  if  a  goat  or  anything  dies.  Two 
days  on  the  river  between  Assouan  and  Haifa  were  very  awkward, 
as  I  had  nothing  to  eat,  and  only  the  Nile  water  to  drink,  of 
which  copious  draughts  refreshed  my  thirsty  .soul!  Steevens  was 
right  when  he  described  the  Soudan  thirst  :  if  only  the  microbe 
could  be  introduced  into  England,  would  not  the  “  pubs  ”  do  a 
trade?  As  to  Khartoum,  do  not  imagine  that  it  is  built  of  mud 
huts,  for  we  really  have  some  grand  buildings  and  gardens.  First 
by  far  is  the  Palace ;  its  garden  is  a  second  Kew  to  me,  with  four 
tennis  lawns  and  green  slopes,  which  to  keep  green  is  a  great 
difficulty,  as  you  can  imagine,  when  we  have  perhaps  a  month  at 
llOdeg  each  clay  and  not  a  sign  of  rain.  But  it  is  done. 
“  Here  there  is  an  engine  that  pumps  the  water  into  a  reser¬ 
voir,  and  from  this  it  is  led  to  various  parts  of  the  garden.  Alter- 
nanthera  is  the  great  edging  for  flower  beds,  which  are  filled  with 
Yerbenas,  Phloxes,  Dianthi,  Yincas  rosa  and  alba,  and  various 
other  annuals.  For  trees  the  fine.st  is  Poinciana  regia,  with 
gorgeous  red  flowers  and  handsome  foliage.  The  best  tree  for 
avenues  in  Albizzia  Lebbek,  a  rapid  grower.  There  is  an  avenue 
here  nearly  two  miles  long,  which,  in  a  few  years,  will  not  be 
ecjualled  elsewhere  in  the  world.  The  other  avenue  trees’  are 
Pistacia  terebinthus,  Kigelia  sethiopica  (the  Sausage  tree),  having 
long  fruits,  2ft  to  3ft,  and  as  tough  as  leather;  also  Ficus  ben- 
galensis  and  Bauhinia  purpurata.  The  other  trees  grown  are 
Moringa  pterygosperma,  Melia  Azedarach  (verj^  pretty  indeed) ; 
also  Cresalpina  pulcherrima,  Tecomas,  and  Roses  in  abundance. 
Jasminum  Sambac  fl.-pl.,  which  at  Kew  would  not  flower  well,  is 
grand  here.  Then  Neriums,  Oranges,  Lemons,  and  Pomegranates 
are  plentiful.  There  is  a  fine  Teak  tree  in  front  of  the  Palace, 
also  Terminalia  Bellerica.  Date  Palms  are  a  feature,  of  cour.se, 
and  yield  a  good  revenue. 
“  The  staff  numbers  sixty  men  in  the  Palace  Gardens,  and 
forty  women  who  water  the  avenues,  all  water  being  carried  on 
their  heads  from  the  Nile  in  earthen  pots.  The.se  ladies  would 
cause  a  sensation  in  town:  theg  love  hair  nil! 
“  We  have  a  large  public  zoological  garden,  with  seven  giraffes, 
two  ostriches,  gazelles,  and  chimpanzees,  which  is  also  under  my 
charge.  All  Government  official  residences  have  their  gardens, 
but  want  of  water  is  the  great  drawback  to  success.  Things  grow 
amazingly  when  they  do  get  water.  It  is  ver.y  different  to  rais¬ 
ing  seed  at  home,  for  all  get  treated  alike  out  of  a  two  gallon  can. 
“  Eucalypti  do  not  thrive  here  at  present,  though  many  species 
have  been  tried.  The  natives  are  as  black  as  you  can  find  them, 
and  all  have  their  great  scars  on  the  cheeks  as  tribal  marks.  They 
are  rather  lazy,  very  untruthful,  and  on  the  whole  take  life  in  an 
easy-going  fashion. 
“  The  Nile  is  rising  very  rapidly  this  first  week  of  June,  one  foot 
in  a  day.  The  temperature  is  about  115deg,  but  being  so  dry  is 
not  so  verj’  oppressive.  We  have  had  no  rain  to  speak  of  since  I 
came  out,  except  one  big  thunderstorm,  which  naturally  was  of 
great  interest  to  me.  The  lightning  is  grand,  and  the  rain — 
well,  the  streets  were  like  canals! 
“  Sandstorms  are  the  common  event  of  the  day  now.  The 
wind  suddenly  begins  to  Avhistle,  then  everything  is  in  a  whirl, 
and  you  cannot  see  for  the  dust,  and  one’s  rooms  are  always 
covered  with  it.  I  am  haijpily  in  the  best  of  health.” 
— 
“American  Gardening” 
After  having  ceased  for  four  weeks,  our  transatlantic  con¬ 
temporary  again  resumes  its  regular  publication  under  new  segis. 
The  death  of  the  late  Mr.  James  W.  Withers,  president  of  the 
American  Gardening  Publishing  Company,  has  brought  its  govern¬ 
ment  into  the  hands  of  a  syndicate  composed  of  Messrs.  Thomas 
B.  Meehan,  Chas.  L.  Yates,  James  McHutchinson,  and  Daniel  W. 
Wittpenn,  who  have  retained  Mr.  Leonard  Barron  as  editor,  and 
also  appointed  him  busine.ss  manager.  We  read  in  the  address 
presented  by  the  new  ownership,  that  “  It  is  the  purpo,se  of  the 
new  owners  to  make  ‘American  Gardening’  a  horticultural  paper 
on  broad  lines,  up-to-date,  and  progressive.”  There  should  be 
abundance  of  scope  in  America. 
