40. S. PROSTRATA = Sphæroma prostrata Harv. 1. c. Lavatera prostrata E. Mey. Hab. Cape. Bank of Orange River, Burke ! Var. B. MOLLIS Harv. 1. c. Hab. Cape, Drège, Nos. 7325a & b! OO Bracteolæ externe processibus filiformibus obtectæ. 41. S. PANNOSA Bolus in Journ. Linn. Soc. xxv. p. 156. Hab. East Griqualand. Mt. Currie, W. Tyson, Herb. Norm. Austro-Afric. No. 475! § 4. MELIPHLEA Zucc. Pl. Nov. Fasc. ii. p. 51, t. 9 (genus). Bracteolæ ovatæ vel spathulæformæ disco lævi 5-lobo calycis basin vestiente. 42. S. UMBELLATA St. Hil.; Hemsl. in Biolog. Centr. Am. i. P. 114. S. Galeottii Turcz in Bull. Soc. Mosc. 1858, p. 186. Malva umbellata Cav.; DC. Prod. i. p. 435. S. vitifolia Hemsl. Biolog. Centr. Amer. i. p. 114. Meliphlea vitifolia Zucc. Pl. Nov. Fasc. ii. p. 52, t. 9. Hab. Mexico! Var. ROSEA = Malva rosea Calques des Dess. Fl. Mex. p. 58; DC. Prod. i. p. 435. Foliis 5-lobis acutis, bracteolis ovatis sessilibus 3-nerviis, floribus roseis. Hab. Mexico, C. Jurgensen, No. 529! The bracteoles in the figure of Meliphlea vitifolia Zucc. vary considerably from the description in DeCandolle's Prodromus of the bracteoles of Malva umbellata Cav. 43. S. NUTANS Scheidw. in Fl. de Serres, vii. p. 221, t. 726. Hab. Guatemala ? 44. S. CRISPIFOLIA. Prod. i. p. 465. Species anomala. Sida crispifolia Cav. Icones, v. t. 419; DC. Hab. South America. Port Desire! Species Chilenses non satis notæ. 45. S. MENDOCINA Phil. in Anales Univ. 1862, ii. p. 392. 46. S. SESSILIFLORA Phil. in Anales Univ. 1872, p. 679. 47. S. PETEROANA Phil. in Pl. Nuev. Chil. 1893, p. 9. 48. S. PULCHELLA Phil. l. c. Hab. Nr. Coquimbo, Cornish. 49. S. CAPITULIFLORA Phil. l. c. p. 10. Species exclusa. = = Sphæralcea filicaulis Hemsl. Sida diffusa H. B. K. S. filicaulis var. setosa Hemsl. Sida diffusa var. setosa. XXIV. MODIOLA Moench. Meth. p. 619. Bracteole 3 liberæ. Carpella intus inter semina transversim septata. 1. M. MULTIFIDA Moench. Meth. p. 620. M. caroliniana G. Don, Gen. Syst. i. p. 465; Gray, Genera, ii. p. 72, t. 128. Malva caroliniana L.; DC. Prod. i. p. 435. M. decumbens Willd.; DC. l. c. p. 436. M. prostrata Cav.; DC. l. c. M. urticifolia H. B. K. Nov. Gen. et Sp. v. p. 215. M. eriocarpa DC. Prod. l. c. Modiola reptans St. Hil. Fl. Bras. Mer. i. p. 212. M. prostrata St. Hil. l. c. M. urticifolia et eriocarpa G. Don, l. c. M. erecta Lespinasse in Bull. Soc. Bot. 1859, p. 647. Hab. Widely spread in America from Southern United States to Argentine Republic, Paraguay, and Uruguay! Juan Fernandez ! Jamaica! Modiola macropodia Phil. Pl. Nuev. Chil. 1893, p. 20 (Malva macropodia Steud. in Flora, 1856, p. 426), is evidently closely allied to the above. 2. M. LATERITIA K. Schum. 1. c. p. 455, t. lxxx.? Malva peduncularis Hook. & Arn. in Hook. Misc. iii. p. 150. Hab. Argentine Republic! Grande do Sul. Uruguay! Brazil, Prov. Rio Dr. K. Schumann has transferred this plant from the genus Malvastrum, where it was formerly placed, to Modiola. See Journ. Bot. vol. xxix. p. 169, for synonymy. Species exclusa. Modiola geranioides Walp. Modiolastrum geranioides Bak. fil. = XXV. MODIOLASTRUM K. Schum. l. c. p. 276. Bracteolæ calycis basi adnatæ vel a calyce remotæ. Ovula solitaria pro loculo, adscendentia. Dissepimentum a capidiorum dorso oriundum locullos in loculamenta bina superposita seperat. * Bracteolæ calycis basi adnatæ. 1. M. MALVIFOLIUM K. Schum. l. c. p. 277. Modiola malvifolia Gris. Sym. ad Flor. Arg. p. 45. Hab. Argentine Republic! Paraguay. 2. M. GERANIOIDES = Modiola geranioides Walp. Rep. i. p. 296. Malva geranioides Gillies MSS.; Hook. Bot. Misc. iii. p. 152. Malvastrum Gilliesii Baker in Gard. Chron. 1885, p. 166. Malva Gilliesii Steud. Nom. edit. 2. Hab. Chili, nr. Quillota, Gillies! Argentine Republic. Parana! ** Bracteolæ a calyce remotæ. 3. M. JAGGIANUM K. Schum. 1. c. p. 278, t. liv. Modiola reptans Gris. MSS., non St. Hil. Hab. Uruguay, Lorentz, Flora Entreriana, No. 1695. This genus is intermediate between Modiola and Malvastrum. I have placed it next to Modiola on account of its habit, but it differs from the Abutileæ in the carpels. CYPERUS FUSCUS IN DORSET AND HANTS. BY EDWARD F. LINTON, M.A. WITHIN a few days of my brother's discovery of this plant near Ringwood, I searched for and found it in the neighbourhood of Bere Regis, in Dorset, having been stimulated to look for it by its recent detection in South Hants. If there were any ground for suspicion that the Cyperus may have been introduced near Ringwood,-and, judging from the character of the locality, I do not think there is the least, there is none in the case of the Dorset habitat. I refrain from giving reasons, not wishing to denote either locality too clearly. The plant is not plentiful; it is a wonder how it has survived in such small quantity; but being native, as I believe it is, it may yet be found to occur in other suitable marshy places, in the South of England, if not further north; for it is most improbable that we should have hit on the only two localities in this part of the country. This Cyperus is very easily overlooked. Mr. J. C. ManselPleydell tells me that he has more than once examined the very ground where I detected it, and seen nothing of it. This is not surprising the marsh was, from what I could learn, less watery than usual, after the prolonged drought of last summer; and the little sedge is so inconspicuous, and so often half-buried in the loose herbage, that I doubt if I should have found it myself but for having it on the brain. About a fortnight later I happened to be in the same district again, and found, at a fresh spot nearly two miles away from the former one, some three more plants; one of them with very numerous stems, and full of ripening seed, which would, I hope, secure the propagation of the plant for other years. Sir J. D. Hooker states that the plant was naturalised at the Chelsea station.* Some doubt has even been cast on the Surrey locality, as possibly not native. However this may be, there is evidence now, which cannot easily be disputed, for considering Cyperus fuscus a native plant. The character of the two-fold Dorset station is unassailable. If native in Dorset, that is strong presumption for viewing the Hants station, against which indeed there is no just suspicion, as native also. And the rational inference from its indigenous occurrence in these two adjoining counties, Dorset and Hants, is that the sedge is native, too, on Shalford Common,-unless some good evidence is forthcoming to the contrary. The European distribution is so general that the wonder is, not to find it in these isles, but to find it so rarely. A plant that is spread over nearly the whole continent, from Middle and South Russia to Portugal, and from Sweden, Denmark and Belgium to the shores of the Mediterranean and the Levant, may well be expected to occur in more than two or three southern counties of England; and further research, in warm dry seasons especially, will be very likely to justify the expectation. * [See, for further information on this point, Journ. Bot. 1871, pp. 148, 212. -ED. JOURN. BOT.] JOURNAL OF BOTANY.--VOL. 81. [DEC, 1893.] 2 B 870 Report of DEPARTMENT OF BOTANY, BRITISH MUSEUM, 1892. BY WILLIAM CARRUTHERS, F.R.S. THE principal addition to the Herbarium during the year has been the extensive herbarium of Mosses, Hepatics and Lichens formed by the late Mr. George Davis, of Brighton, and presented by his widow. It contains about 20,000 named and localised specimens, of which 9000 are Mosses, 6000 Hepatics, and 5000 Lichens. The plants are chiefly British, and supply several desiderata to the British collections, besides greatly adding to the representation of the distribution of the species. The additions to the collections by presentation have consisted of 312 species from India, presented by C. B. Clarke, Esq., F.R.S.; 88 species from Swatow, China, by the Rev. P. T. Maclagan; 456 species from Africa, and 246 species from Sierra Leone, collected by G. Scott Elliot, Esq., of the Boundary Expedition, and presented by the Royal Society; 100 species from the Cape of Good Hope, by Messrs. MacOwan and Bolus; 162 species from Australia, by Baron von Mueller; 180 species from St. Vincent, presented by the West India Committee; 36 species of cultivated orchids, from H. Veitch, Esq.; and 32 species from Mr. Moore, of Glasnevin Gardens, Dublin; specimens of Thonningia malayasica, from the Rev. R. Baron, of Madagascar; fruits of Banksia ornata, from Baron von Mueller. A collection of plants made by Mr. Alex. Whyte on Mount Milanji, a high mountain to the south of Lake Nyassa, has been received and named, and the new species described. A collection of 199 cellular plants, from Professor Farlow; a small collection from Perak, from Dr. King; 170 species of Algæ from Australia, from Baron von Mueller; 28 species of Californian Algæ, from Professor King; 70 species of Alge from the Cape of Good Hope, from W. Tyson, Esq.; and new or critical species of cellular plants from Major Willoughby Verner, Prof. E. Perceval Wright, Prof. Harvey Gibson, Mrs. Weber van Bosse, Rev. E. S. Marshall, Messrs. H. & J. Groves, E. A. L. Batters, C. T. Druery, H. Piggot, F. Q. Gell, W. G. Smith, Miss Woolward, and others. Among the additions to the British Herbarium, by presentation, are the following:-261 species from the Rev. E. S. Marshall; 45 species from the Rev. T. S. Lea; 40 species from A. Bennett, Esq.; 42 named species and varieties of Rubus from Dr. de Crespigny; and interesting species from the Rev. W. R. Linton, Messrs. R. Lloyd Praeger and W. Whitwell, and Captain Wolley Dod. Mr. Clement Reid has presented 23 species of British fruits in continuation of his previous valuable contributions. The following collections have been acquired by exchange:111 specimens from North America, from Professor Britton; 273 Indian and Malayan plants, from Dr. King; 32 species of North American Myxomycetes, from Professor MacBride; 100 species of Appalachian Mosses, from Mrs. Britton; and 234 specimens of Characea from the herbarium of Alex. Braun, from the Director of the Royal Botanical Gardens, Berlin, The following collections have been acquired by purchase:800 species of European plants, from Dr. Schultz; 478 species. from Spain, collected by Porta and Rigo; 362 species from Turkey, collected by Sintenis; 848 species from Dahuria, collected by Karo; 70 species from Syria, collected by Dr. Post; 117 species from Natal, by J. M. Wood; 195 species from Madagascar, collected by the Rev. R. Baron; 510 species from Bolivia, collected by Bang; 205 species from Paraguay, collected by Morong; 170 species from Western China, being the completion of the collection of Mr. Pratt; 494 Hepatica from the Amazon, collected by Spruce; 1968 species of cellular plants from different regions, from Professor Ralfs; 100 species of Algae of Europe, from Roumeguère and Dupray; 50 species of Italian Alge, from Dr. Levi-Morenos; 100 European Algæ, from Hauck; 25 species of Characea, from Migula; 400 species of European Mosses, from Sydow; 565 species of Brazilian Lichens, from Wainio; 505 microscopic preparations of Fungi, and a large collection of specimens of Indian Fungi, made by the late Dr. Barclay; 20 preparations of Fungi, by Herpell; 150 species of Uredinea, by Sydow; 100 species of Fungi from Lombardy, from Cavara; 150 species of French Fungi, from Tempère; and 200 species of American Fungi, from Seymour and Earl. William Sowerby, Esq., presented a model of Clathrus cancellatus made by the elder Sowerby, which has been added to the models in the Exhibition Gallery. The collection of prints and drawings of plants has been increased by the presentation of 11 illustrations of the species of Masdevallia, by Miss Woolward; 19 photographs and 17 engravings of Cycadea, by Dr. Maxwell T. Masters; and 8 plates of Hepatica, by Mr. George Massee; and by the purchase of 21 original drawings of Fungi, by J. Bolton, of Halifax; and 1036 original water-colour drawings of Fungi, by Mr. Massee. The large collection of sketches and water-colour drawings made, at the expense of Sir Joseph Banks, by Francis Bauer, of plants in the Royal Gardens, Kew, has been systematically arranged and mounted to secure their permanent preservation and easy reference. SHORT NOTES. ELEOCHARIS ACICULARIS (p. 309).—Would it not be more correct to speak of Mr. Praeger's submerged plant as a state rather than a form? and also of leaves rather than "stem" in a flowerless condition of the species? I have seen the plant, growing as he describes, in Surrey, and I think in Norfolk, in 1-3 ft. of water, with leaves of normal length; not indeed tufted, but creeping more freely in the soft mud than it can on moist ground, where there is usually some competition to check freedom of root-development. E. palustris is to some extent like it, creeping very shortly in the turf of a wet meadow, but far-creeping in shallow water where the soil is loose or sandy, and, though half-emerged, less inclined than |