South African, one North Temperate, one Himalayas, and the last Cosmopolitan. Three of the species, O. variabilis Jacq., O. pes-capra: L. and O. pubescens H. B. & K., are reported in India only from the Nilgiri and Pulney Hills; 0. telraphylla occurs there, but also in Assam; 0. lalifolia H. B. & K. and O. corijmbosa DC, both in S. India and on the Himalayas, two others 0. Acetosella L. and 0. Qriffithii Edgew. and Hook, f., belong in India to Assam, Khasia and the Himalayas. 0. corniculata L. is widely distributed. An artificial key is provided to facilitate the recognition of the species, and there are 7 excellent full-page plates. The paper is a record of the occurrence of these weeds in India, which will probably be of very great interest in years to come, when considering how much some of these species have spread to the annoyance of planter and gardener alike, it is probable that the distribution of some at least will be much more general.
Flora of New Guinea.
Ridley, H. N. The Botany of the Wollaston Expedition to Dutch New Guinea, 1912-13. Trans. Linn. Soc. 2nd, Ser. IX. I pp. 1 — 269 and 6 pl.
This the second expedition organised by Mr. A. F. R. Wollaston to New Guinea, was to the Nassau range drained by the Utakwa river. The country traversed was of the wildest description, and in the absence of maps and names the various camps have to be indicated by numbers. The route followed was for some 28 miles up the Utwaka river or its tributary, then over much broken limestone, along ridges sometimes only 4 to 5 ft. wide, or descending over a thousand feet to cross some stream. The nature of the going may be guessed from the simple statement that as much as six miles were done in the earlier marches, but later they shortened to little more than two. Oaks occurred at 6,000 ft., and mixed forest densely clothed with moss and reeking with moisture, and at about the same height a large fruited Pandanus. At 8,000 ft. Casuarinas draped with moss were the dominant feature of the vegetation. The limit of trees was reached at 10,900 ft., above which the rock was too steep to support large growths, and just below the snow line the last flower met with was a daisy (Myriactis).
Mr. Ridley divides the country botanically into four regions : (1) the coast region, up to 500 ft., where the forest is swampy and dense and the flora mostly Malayan. (2) the foothill area, from 600 to 3,000 ft. (on light coloured limestone, coral rock or gravel), where the flora is chiefly Malayan. Here occurred the Anonacese, Garcinias, Olacineae, and Icacineae (except one species of Gomphandra) Gardenia, Ixora, Webera, Dioscorca, Saccolabiiun and Burmannia to mention only a few of the genera. A flora which reminds us of that of the uppermost slopes of the mountain of South India at 5 — 6,000 ft. (3) The frontal mountain zone, to 8,000 ft. and more, with palearctic forms mixing with the Malayan, e, g. Viola, Omanthe, Hypericum, Evodia, Isclucmum. and Dodonea. (4) The main range where, from 6,500 to 8000 ft., Casuarina trees and Violets were the most noticeable features. In the open country were Orchids, Myriactis, Anaphalis,.A.stibe,]and< Rhododendrons. Between 9,000 and 11,000 ft., bushy Vacciniums and Rhododendrons formed a bushy jungle densely overgrown with mosses and very difficult to traverse. At 10,500 grew the curious Pine-like Podocarjjus papuanus, but above the rocks were so steep that but
