ALBERT

Description: Verslag van een doctoraal onderwerp bij de Vakgroep Systematische Dierkunde en Evolutiebiologie van de Rijksuniversiteit Leiden, september 1976

Description: New taxa and combinations are published here in anticipation of the revision of the Rutaceae-Pilocarpinae to be published in the near future (thesis, and in Flora Neotropica). Two new combinations of species excluded from subtribe Pilocarpinae are added.

Description: The author reports the discovery of the moss Rhodobryum roseum (Hedw.) Limpr. in the municipality of Wijlre in the extreme south of the Dutch province of Limburg. This is the first certain find from this area. See distribution map – fig. 2. Rhodobryum occurs on a steep part with a grade of about 30° of a north-facing hillside which borders the valley of the rivulet Geul. This steep part originated by specific land use for several centuries and it forms a part of a pasture which lies below it and is incidentally grazed by cattle. Above the locality a forest stretches towards the hill top. The habitat of Rhodobryum roseum receives no direct sunshine and the microclimatological situation can be defined as open shade. The air humidity is constantly rather high. The subsoil consists of calcareous deposits of Upper-Senone age. The pH measured at a depth of ca. 5 cm. in the soil is about 7-8. The altitude of the locality is about 125 m. above sea level.

Description: Op 27 mei 1976 overleed Dr. P.A. Florsohütz op de leeftijd van 53 jaar. Het bericht van zijn overlijden kwam zelfs voor diegenen die gedurende de laatste weken van zijn leven regelmatig kontakt met hem hadden onverwacht. Tijdens de middelbare-sohooltijd kwam zijn interesse in de biologie al duidelijk naar voren. Zowel plant als dier had zijn belangstelling. Na het behalen van het diploma HBS liet Florsohütz zich als student in de biologie aan onze universiteit in schrijven en legde in 1945 bet kandidaatsexamen af. Spoedig daama werd hij kandidaat-assistent bij Prof. Pulle, hoogleraar-directeur van het toenmalige Botanisch Museum en Herbarium. Hét doctoraal-examen werd in 1949 afgelegd.

Description: Floristische und soziologische Beobachtungen über die Flechtenvegetation von Isla Persa, einer Gletscherinsel in der SO-Schweiz (Berainagebiet), in Höhe von 2450-2850 m, werden beschrieben. Die Artenliste nennt 156 Arten. Die interessantesten Funde werden kurz besprochen. Deutlich höher als bekannt aus der Literatur wurden gefunden: Cladonia cyanipes auf 2550 m. Coniocybe furfuracea auf 2650 m. Leprocaulon microscopicum auf 2500 m. Weiter werden einige Flechtengesellschaften auf Isla Persa kurz besprochen: a) epiphytisch: Parmeliopsidetum ambiguae Hilitzer 1925 b) epilithisch: Umbilicarietum cylindricae Frey 1923 Umbilicarietum microphyllae Frey 1923 Sporastatietum testudineae Frey 1922 Sporastatietum polysporae Frey 1922 Ramalinetum capitatae Frey 1923 Umbilicarietum ruebelianae Frey 1925 Dimelaenetum oreinae Frey 1923 Umbilicarietum deustae Frey 1933 c) terrestrisch: Stereocauletum alpini Frey 1937 ? Cladonietum alpestris Frey 1937 Thamnolietum vermicularis Gams 1927 Lecideetum demissae Frey 1923

Description: The African members of the Conocephaloideae are revised. Musanga comprises two species: M. cecropioides and M. leo-errerae. In Myrianthus seven species are recognized: M. arboreus, M. holstii, M. preussii (with ssp. preussii and ssp. seretii), M. libericus, M. serratus (with var. serratus and var. letestui), and M. cuneifolius. M. serratus var. letestui is described as new.

Description: Oil bodies 7-12 in upper leaf cells, 10-20 in elongated basal leaf cells; globose to ellipsoid, 3-7(-10)x3-5 μm; colourless, coarsely segmented, consisting of c. 15-30 aggregated droplets (Colombia, Boyacá, páramos NW of Belén, Cabeceras Q. El Toral, 3765 m, Cleef 2292e; Ecuador, páramos de El Angel, 17 km. S. of Tulcán, 3350 m, Gradstein, Lanier & Weber s.n.). The presence of segmented oil bodies in Colura patagonica is remarkable because previous studies of living Colura (from Japan) reported homogeneous oil bodies (cf. Schuster & Hattori 1964; Inoue 1974).

Description: On 27 May 1976 Peter Arnold Florschütz, bryologist, died at the age of only 53 at De Bilt, Netherlands. Only six weeks prior he had been hospitalized as a result of kidney cancer. His untimely death came as totally unexpected and shocking news to his friends and colleagues all over the world, many of whom had seen him in excellent health the year before at the Botanical Congress in Leningrad. He was a lector of botany and curator of the cryptogamic herbarium at the Institute for Systematic Botany and acting director of the Botanical Gardens of the University of Utrecht, the same institution where he had studied biology from 1941 to 1949. In his professional capacity he had held positions at the Institute for Systematic Botany from 1946 until 1949 as student-assistant and from 1949 on as staff member. Initially under the directorship of his teacher in plant systematics Professor A. A. Pulle, and from 1948 until 1970 under Professor J. Lanjouw’s leadership, the “Flora of Suriname” was being tackled by the staff of the institute. Thus, as a young graduate student, Florschütz was assigned the revision of the mosses of Suriname; a comprehensive and difficult task, because in those post-war years there was a vacuum in European exotic bryology. The heydays, with Herzog in Germany, Brotherus in Scandinavia, Dixon in Great Britain and Thériot and Camus in France were over. At the beginning, Florschütz was entirely dependent on Brotherus’ treatment of the world’s mosses in Engler and Prantl, “Die natürlichen Pflanzenfamilien.” In those years he had run over the leaves of this book for weeks on end in a typical posture, like he used to tell: folded in a chair, book on his lap.

Description: Campylopus introflexus, a new neophyte in western Europe, occurs throughout the Netherlands. After its first appearance in 1961, it is now a common moss. It grows as a pioneer on acid, well-drained places. The differences with C. pilifer are summarized. The occurrence of the latter in the Netherlands could not be affirmed.

Description: Campylopus galapagensis J.-P. Frahm & Sipman spec. nov. is described. It is closely related to C. pilifer Brid., from which it differs mainly by the presence of substereids in the ventral layer of the costa. It is endemic on the Galapagos Islands, where it occurs frequently from sea level to the highest summits at 1500 m.

Description: The first record of Lophozia perssonii for the Netherlands, from an old and deep limestone-quarry near Cadier en Keer, S. Limburg. Sterile L. perssonii grows here as a pioneer on shaded, calcareous tufa blocks together with Leiocolea badensis and other bryophytes. The differences with related species are discussed, and a description of the ecology is given.

Description: Tortula grandiretis Broth., differing from T. muralis Hedw. mainly in the larger, quite smooth lamina cells, is reported from three localities in the SW-Netherlands, where it occurred on open, sandy or clayey, brackish soil on recently enclosed mud flats or salt-marshes. It is also reported from one locality in Turkey. It was formerly known only from Turkestan (U.S.S.R.).

Description: The structure of the wood of the genera Castilla, Helicostylis, Maquira, Naucleopsis, Olmedia, Perebea and Pseudolmedia, considered to belong in the Olmedieae (cf. Berg 1972) is described. The diversity in anatomical structure between the genera is small, and it is hard to distinguish Maquira, Perebea and Pseudolmedia from each other. Castilla can be recognized by its thinwalled and wide-lumined fibres, Helicostylis by its parenchyma distribution, Naucleopsis (usually) by its more numerous vessels with a smaller diameter. A more marked difference is shown by the monotypic genus Olmedia with apotracheal banded parenchyma instead of the paratracheal aliform to confluent-banded parenchyma of the other genera. Septate fibres, which are characteristic for the other genera – some species of Helicostylis excepted – are nearly completely absent in Olmedia. This structural difference is considered as an argument in favour of the exclusion of Olmedia from the tribe Olmedieae (Berg 1977).

Description: The new checklist of Dutch liverworts comprises 126 species, 1 subspecies and 5 varieties. Since 1962 seven liverwort species have been added to the flora: Barbilophozia hatcheri, Calypogeia muellerana, Cephalozia pleniceps, Fossombronia incurva, Haplomitrium hookeri, Lophozia perssonii and Plagiochila porelloides. Of twelve species presumed occurrence in the Netherlands needs verification. Nomenclature follows Grolle’s “Verzeichnis der Lebermoose Europas” (Feddes Repert. 87: 171-279. 1976), except for Isopaches, Leiocolea and Microlejeunea, which are maintained as genera and Phaeoceros carolinianus, Cephalozia lammersiana, Chiloscyphus pallescens, Lophozia silvicola and Lophocolea cuspidata. , which are treated as intraspecific taxa.

Description: The new Amazonian liverwort genus Verdoornianthus is considered to be a specialized derivative of the widespread tropical genus Archilejeunea. Differences are the absence of innovations, the dull, suberect leaves, the tristratose rhizoid pad and the larger size of the lobule of the female bracts in Verdoornianthus. There are two species, V. marsupiifolius (Spruce) comb. nov. (Lejeunea marsupiifolia Spruce) from the upstream part of the Rio Negro and V. griffinii sp. nov. from Manaus.

Description: In a recent paper PIERROT (BIZOT, PIERROT & POCS 1974) described the new genus Bizotia based on Paraleucobryum densifolium Thér. (THÉRIOT 1939). However, ROBINSON (1967) already made the presumption that Paraleucobryum densifolium should belong to Campylopus, notably C. argyrocaulon (C.M.) Broth. His conception of C. argyrocaulon was apparently based on MUELLER’s original description (MUELLER 1874) only, which includes a detailed description of the cross section of the costa. We examined part of the type collection of C. argyrocaulon (Wallis s. n., Colombia, NY) but this material, although MUELLER’s description is correct, does not exactly match the type material of Paraleucobryum densifolium (Troll 2144-2145, Colombia, PC-TH). The type material of C. argyrocaulon is identical with one of the paratypes of C. leucognodes (C.M.) Par. (Germain s. n., Bryoth. Levier, Bolivia, NY). ROBINSON also mentions Campylopus pittieri Williams (1908) under the presumed synonymy of C. argyrocaulon. Examination of the type material of the former species (Pittier 1088, Colombia, NY) shows that this species is indeed identical with Paraleucobryum densifolium.

Description: In continuation of de Ruiter’s treatment of Myrianthus and Musanga (Bull. Jard. Bot. Nat. Belg. 46: 471-510.1976), the present paper gives a revision of the African representatives of 17 genera of the Moraceae. The area studied not only consists of the African Continent, but also includes Madagascar, the Comoro Islands, the Mascarenes, the Seychelles, and the Aldabra Islands. Several new combinations are made: Antiaris toxicaria ssp. africana (Engl.) C.C. Berg, A. toxicaría ssp. africana var. usambarensis” (Engl.) C.C. Berg, A. toxicaria ssp. macrophylla (R.Br.) C.C. Berg, A. toxicaría ssp. madagascariensis (H. Perrier) C.C. Berg, A. toxicaria ssp. humbertii (Léandri) C.C. Berg, Broussonetia greveana (Baillon) C.C. Berg, Treculia africana ssp. madagascarica (N.E.Br.) C.C. Berg, and T. africana ssp. madagascarica var. sambiranensis (Léandri) C. C. Berg. Many names are brought into synonymy. Besides revising taxa, the present study aims to fill a gap in our knowledge between Asian Moraceae (studied by Corner, whose studies resulted in a new classification of the family) and the neotropical Moraceae, a subject of study by the present author. Therefore discussions about classification of the family and relationships of African Moraceae with moraceous taxa elsewhere are an essential part of the present paper.

Description: From April 1974 to October 1975 the author conducted field work on the Galápagos Islands for a vegetation study of Santa Cruz and Volcán Alcedo, Isabela. Plants were collected on other islands as well. Thirty-five taxa are new for the archipelago. When determining the material, I found some changes in nomenclature to be necessary. The first set of the collection is in U while a duplicate set will be deposited in CAS. A representative set will be deposited in an Ecuadorian Herbarium. The sequence of the taxa in the Flora of the Galapagos Islands (Wiggins & Porter 1971) is followed.

Description: This year Prof. Dr. F.P. Jonker, Frits as he is known among his friends, will retire from the formal academic life at the State University of Utrecht: a long and busy life of 49 years, devoted to teaching, administration, and scientific research. Looking back on all these years, one realises the important contributions that Jonker has made to botanical science in general and to palaeobotany in particular, both in The Netherlands and abroad, as well as the impact he has exerted on his surroundings, culminating in the vigorous activities of the Laboratory of Palaeobotany and Palynology at Utrecht. To describe Jonker’s life history is indeed to describe the history of his laboratory. To understand the significance of Jonker and the character of the “lab”, we have to trace his life from its very beginnings at the town of Almelo in the eastern Netherlands, where he was born in 1912. His father and mother were teachers and both liked (wild) flowers. Thus both an intellectual and botanical background were already part of his life at a very young age. Soon Jonker joined a group of boy-scouts, where he combined his love for the outdoors with his interest in nature. In high school the biology teacher was Dr. J. Van Beusekom, an Utrecht botanist, who was at the same time scout-master of the scout group. In these formative years, “de Beus” was a decisive factor in influencing Jonker’s career. It was largely because of Van Beusekom that Jonker went to Utrecht University as a student.

Description: El 25 de mayo de 1976 falleció inesperadamente, a la edad de 53 años, Peter Arnold Florschütz, eminente briólogo y profesor de Botánica Sistemática en Utrecht (Holanda). Era bien conocido por sus estudios de los musgos de Surinam. Fue coauter del "Index Muscorum”, miembro de la comisión de la Flora Neotrópica y tesorero del IAPT. Durante sus últimos 10 años estudiaba, junto con la señora Florschütz, los musgos de los Andes colombianos. En 1972 visitó muchas zonas de páramos y selvas andinas, especialmente en los alrededores de Bogotá (Cundinamarca), la Sierra Nevada del Cocuy (Boyacá, Arauca) y el Nevado del Ruiz (Caldas). En 1975 tuvo la oportunidad de visitar nuevamente algunos páramos cercanos a la capital colombiana. Sus colecciones de 1972 y 1975 (con cerca de 1.000 números) se conservan en Bogotá (COL) con duplicados en Utrecht (U).

Description: BAKHUIZEN VAN DEN BRINK Jr, R.C., A synoptical key to the genera of the Rubiaceae of Thailand. Thai Forest Bull. (Bot.) 9 (1976) 15-55. Key of the bracketed type, often leading to flowers as well as fruits, with built-in descriptions of c. 6-12 lines; diagnostic characters are marked. Number of genera 68, incl. 3 introductions and 5 genera not recorded but possibly occurring in Thailand (mostly dependent on delimitation); Craib in 1932-34 has 71. Schumann’s system of 1891 is largely upheld, although no subdivision is here given, and some surprising changes in delimitation occur (e.g. in Keenania, Mycetia, Myrioneuron), which means that many new combinations must be floating around on herbarium sheets. Caution is in order where e.g. on p. 49 Mitragyna seems to have a new section Paradina with a supposedly basal placenta, or where Gardenia is authorized L. on p. 35 but authorized L. emend. Bakh.f. on p. 32. A comparison with Thonner’s keys reveals that Bakhuizen’s key works slower. His generic descriptions are true ’mines of information’ – mining requires a lot of backtracking before all characters can be compared. Desirable as it would be to extend a work like this to all Malesia, it would be better to abandon the Backer-way of keying, and instead describe all genera clearly, and prepare a multiple key as worked out by Leenhouts. Some synonyms are given (Notodontia yes, Quiducia and Symphyllarion no), nomina conservanda indicated, no references, no species. Several critical notes are added. — C.E. Ridsdale & M.J.

Description: The South Asia Institute (see note on page 2342) has changed its address in Heidelberg, Germany: now P.O. Box 10 30 66. Work is in progress on the geography – with a botanical inclination – on Nepal, Ceylon, Java, Sumba, Timor, Papua New Guinea, and Stewart Island, New Zealand. New policy of NUFFIC. The two projects executed by the Rijksherbarium for the Netherlands University Foundation For International Cooperation: seedlings in Bogor and Flora of Thailand, have been completed and discontinued respectively. Both were conceived in the early days of NUFFIC, when initiatives of interested parties were welcomed. Election of a socialist government in Holland in 1973 brought a gradual change in policy, towards larger, multidisciplinary projects for the benefit of the poorest, and we were informed that small projects like the above would not be accepted. We will see what the next elections bring, in 1977.

Description: Portraits of botanists who worked on the Ryukyu Islands, 80 in number, most Japanese, a few Americans, were published in the book by S. Hatusima, Flora of the Ryukyus, p. 56-75 (1971). Baas Becking, L. G. M. A meticulous bibliography, of the former Professor of Experimental Botany at Leiden and later Director of the Bogor Botanic Gardens, was prepared by J. Westenberg, 20 p. (North Holland Publishing Company, Amsterdam, 1977).

Description: Brunonia is the title of a journal that will replace the Contributions from Herbarium Australiense (last no. 17, 1976). Subscriptions Aust. $ 4. annual, Herbarium Australiense, P.O. Box 1600, Canberra City, A.C.T. 2601, Australia. Nature Malaysiana, published quarterly by Tropical Press, 64A Jl. Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, started in July 1976. The price is Mal. $ 2.50 a copy. This first number, size 28 by 20 cm, containing 40 pages of text and some pages of ads, is devoted to ’our natural heritage’. It is full of showy photographs all in colour, with high quality popular texts on snakes, malaria parasites, spiders, wild orchids, mantis, frogs and elephants. Execution is very good. The journal seems aimed at the general educated public, well suited for display in airline offices, dentist’s waiting rooms, the reading table in an embassy, etc. where is surely will make life more pleasant, and set people’s minds in the proper direction.

Description: Austrobaileya replaces the Contributions from the Queensland Herbarium, and was devised to accommodate also shorter taxonomic notes. The Contributions amount to 20 numbers, with one article each; a cumulative index of names is in no 20, p. 73-88. In format and execution Austrobaileya resembles its predecessor but the useful page heads should be retained. Volume 1 number 1 (1977) was received in March 1978. It carries 9 papers on 74 pages, and a map with subdivisions of Queensland on the back flap. Frequency and price are unknown. Editor: L. Pedley, Queensland Herbarium, Meiers Road, Indooroopilly, Qld. 4068, Australia. Brunonia replaces Contributions from Herbarium Australiense or rather seems a continuation of it in the same scope under a new name, and paged through per volume. The first issue appeared on 24 February 1978, it has 129 pages, carrying 11 papers. It will be ”issued at irregular intervals”. Subscription is A$ 10 per annum. Editor is B.J. Walby, CSIRO, Box 89, East Melbourne, Vic. 3002, Australia.

Description: Localizing specimens and mapping localities has always been a tedious and time-consuming task for which much depends on the data mentioned on the labels. It has been found a blessing if collectors mention on labels the latitude and longitude. If this is given in an exact way it comprises degrees and minutes, e.g. 6° 45’ S, 141° 30’ E. If no dot-map is provided this appears to be a slightly clumsy formula in print and the question arises whether such exact figures are really needed. In scanning a geographical map the minutes will hardly mean something unless one uses local small-scale maps, as one minute is only a little more than 2 km in the terrain. In Pretoria only the degrees are given, joined into one figure, preceding the collector / after the locality. This simplification is, I think, practical and useful.

Description: Tabula Rasa. In 1963 as a missionary I arrived in the Flora Malesiana region, notably in the Lesser Sunda Islands. A certain ’sensus botanicus’ was my only equipment for botanical surveys, and the next thing to do was to walk the arduous but occasionally quite entertaining road to discovery. I often felt like Mr. Columbus when he was discovering America. I entered the New World at Port Said. A lovely ’pine avenue’ drew me, which turned out to consist of arborescent Equisetes! I now realize that it must have been Casuarina, and still these trees, which I grow in my garden are a source of delight to me. Later it was the tropical gardens with their ’unending splendor of flowers’ that captivated my interest, until one day I learnt that Canna indica is of American origin and that there is indeed a kind of commonplace tropical assortment. For meanwhile I had found occasion to set foot in a genuine Asian primary forest, where reality turned out to be a tedious green monotony. This ’dead point’ must perhaps be reached and passed by anyone who finds himself unprepared like me in the Malesian plant kingdom before, step by step, he can learn to know and love the true ’Flora Malesiana’.

Description: On 3 September 1977, Dr. H.P. Nooteboom (L) went to Ceylon for 2 months to collect additional material of Symplocaceae for ’A revised Flora of Ceylon’. Although this project was due to end by September 1977, it appeared to have been extended for another year. The genus Symplocos, with about 20 taxa, is found in the wet zone (in the mountains of the central part, in the mossy forest up to 2400 m, descending to sea-level in the everwet primary forest in the SW. part of the island). Some species also occur in the secondary forest in the same region, one species is found in the whole island, in a variety of vegetation types, but mostly in secondary forest and shrubbery. Dr. Nooteboom could collect material of all the taxa, sometimes in many individuals, which revealed the difficult patterns of variability. Besides he made also general collections (Nooteboom 3036—3420). The weather was extremely bad; heavy rains caused inundations and landslides. Therefore the total number of collections was limited. Labelling and distribution is still going on.

Description: Flora Malesiana series i volume 8 instalment 2, pages 31-300, came from the press in December 1977*. It contains the Ulmaceae by E. Soepadmo: 6 genera, 27 species; the Iridaceae by D.J.L. Geerinck: 6 genera, 7 species; the Cornaceae by K.M. Matthew: 1 genus Mastixia with 10 species; the Onagraceae by P.H. Raven: 2 genera, 14 species; the Bignoniaceae by C.G.G. J. van Steenis: 15 genera, 31 species + in concise treatment 23 ornamental species; the Crypteroniaceae by R.J. van Beusekom-Osinga: 3 genera, 8 species; the Symplocaceae by H.P. Nooteboom: 1 genus Symplocos, 58 species; the Lentibulariaceae by P. Taylor: 1 genus Utricularia, 22 species. Volume 8 instalment 3 is in proof. It contains the Labiatae and Anacardiaceae, as well as some Addenda, the Dedication to F.A.W. Miquel, and the Index, since volume 8 will then be completed.

Description: The preparation of botanical drawings is a craft in its own right, and furthermore, draughtsmen are human beings. Even these simple truths are trodden down by the taxonomist who during a final hour hands the draughtsman a bundle of specimens and some hasty indications. Naturally the result is anguish and confusion. Let us therefore add some observations to improve the situation. First: a botanical artist looks at plants with a different eye from the taxonomist – that’s why he is an artist and not a scientist. Fortunately, some overlap exists, where the two can meet.

Description: Take almost any profile diagram of rain forest and it reveals you the neglect: nothing but trees. Even in Flora Malesiana* the manner of their climbing is not always indicated. Foresters regard them as weeds and persecute them systematically (see FOX 1968), which subjects them to extra dangers beyond the ’normal’ forest devastation. This makes them perhaps the most threatened life form amongst plants. Yet it is good to remember that two of the main climber families, Menispermaceae and Piperaceae, contain an extraordinary variety of interesting chemical substances (see HEGNAUER in the reference list). For this same reason it is risky to drink water from Menispermaceae trunks, as can be done by holding up a fresh-cut piece of 1-1½ m (Piperaceae are slenderer). Rattans, which are largely bound to primary forest, are of course well known, also economically. Horticulturists have taken hundreds of ornamental climbers in cultivation, on which MENNINGER produced a large popular book, with quite a body of practical knowledge. Lianas (i.e. the larger woody vines) occur in a great number of families, although concentrated in about a dozen; taxonomically as well as morphologically they are heterogeneous. They are a main feature of the tropical forests, where according to an old estimate, they make up 8% of the flora, far less so in the temperate forest (about 2% of a much poorer flora). MEIJER (quoted by FOX, 1968) estimated their number for Sabah alone at 150 genera: 13 in the Asclepiadaceae, 12 in the Menispermaceae, 10 in the Rubiaceae, 9 in the Apocynaceae, 9 in the Leguminosae, 8 in the Annonaceae. As for numbers of individuals, in Sabah, FOX (1969) found on ten plots of 0.4 hectares in typical lowland dipterocarp forest an average of 839 climbers (range 472-1146); out of these 690 (range 380-1003) were thinner than 2½ cm, while 56 (range 28-91) were thicker than 5 cm.

Description: The entries have been split into five categories: a) Algae – b) Fungi & Lichens — c) Bryophytes — d) Pteridophytes — e) Spermatophytes & General subjects. — Books have been marked with an asterisk.

Description: Dr. J.A.R. Anderson, former conservator of Forests, Kuching, now consultant forester and ecologist, new address: 30 Greenhill Gardens, Edinburgh EH10 4BP, U.K. His Far East address: c/o Room 432, 4th floor, Katong Shopping Centre, Singapore 15. Dr. P.S. Ashton of Aberdeen spent months in Kuala Lumpur, during the second half of 1975, principally to teach economic and forest botany at the University of Malaya.

Description: The idea to establish a regional organization in order to improve the quality of education in South East Asia was conceived in a meeting of Ministers of Education and Culture in 1965. This idea took shape and was realized in an organization called the SEAMEO (South East Asian Ministers of Education Organization) which was officially inaugurated on February 7, 1968 by the signing of the SEAMEO Charter by seven Ministers of Education, representing the Governments of Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and South Vietnam. In 1971 the Republic of Khmer followed as the eighth member country, whereas in 1973 France became an associate member, followed by Australia and New Zealand in 1974.

Description: Applied Ecology Abstracts, compiled and published by Information Retrieval Ltd. 1 Falconberg Court, London W1V 5FG, U.K. A monthly, each issue carrying c. 800 abstracts and author index. Price vol. 1, Jan.-Dec. 1975, surface mail £ 60, airmail £ 73. It is claimed that 4300 journals and other publications are scanned annually. Coverage is world-wide.

Description: Some of the species and names of hydnoid fungi treated in Furukawa’s work are discussed. Hydnum albidum is recorded in Europe for the first time. Further finds of some interesting species are reported. Auriscalpium barbatum (Western Australia) and Steccherinum peruvianum (Peru) are described as new species. A key to the species of Auriscalpium is given.

Description: Subramanian’s concept of true and false chains of phialoconidia is rejected and replaced by a distinction between connected and disconnected chains. In connected conidial chains the primary conidial wall is strongly thickened at both ends and a connective is formed. This criterion allows the distinction between trichocomaceous or eurotiaceous (connected) and sphaeriaceous (disconnected) catenulate phialoconidia. The ultrastructure of conidiogenesis is described. On the basis of this criterion, the species of the Acremonium diversisporum series as well as the anamorph of Sagenoma viride Stolk & Orr with connected chains are transferred from Acremonium to the new genus Sagenomella to which four new species are added.

Description: Fungi producing ornamented asexual structures and belonging to the Oomycetes (Trachysphaera) or Zygomycetes (Azygozygum, Mortierella) are described. They were studied by light and scanning electron microscopy while also mating experiments and carbohydrate analyses were performed. Azygozygum chlamydosporum is closely related to Mortierella indohii and therefore Azygozygum is considered to be a synonym of Mortierella. Mortierella echinosphaera spec. nov. is also closely related, but no zygotes are known, only ornamented chlamydospores have been observed. Absence of glucuronic acid and fucose and a low glucosamine content in Trachysphaera fructigena show that it belongs to the Oomycetes.

Description: The genus Mycoacia Donk (1931) originally contained four species, viz. M. fuscoatra (Fr. ex Fr.) Donk (type), M. uda (Fr.) Donk, M. stenodon (Pers.) Donk, and M. setosa (Pers.) Donk. This last species, however, is the type species of Sarcodontia S. Schulzer 1866. Later (1952) Donk considered M. setosa as generically distinct. The monotypic genus Sarcodontia has globose to subglobose spores with thickened walls and is parasitic, while Mycoacia has ellipsoid to allantoid thin-walled spores and is saprophytic. When Mycoacia and Sarcodontia are considered as congeneric (e.g. Nikolajeva, 1961), Sarcodontia is the correct name for the genus. Mycoacia and Sarcodontia are both classified in the Corticiaceae (Donk, 1964; Parmasto, 1968); they are characterized by the resupinate hydnoid ceraceous basidiocarp, the monomitic hyphal system and the smooth non-amyloid spores. The genera are closely related to Phlebia.

Description: The author describes two new subspecies of Rubus, viz. R. schlechtendalii subsp. subcentreuropus Beek and R. glandulosus subsp. picearum Beek.

Description: The structure of the top of the ascus in live and fixed Sarcoscypha coccinea has been studied with different methods of light microscopy. Electron micrographs have been made of median sections of asci first fixed in 1.5% KMnO4, then postfixed with OSO4. Light and electron microscopy give somewhat different but supplementary information on the lateral wall and the top of the ascus in Sarcoscypha. In the ascoplasm a funnel and a funiculus have been found. The ascus wall consists of three layers. (1) An outer layer, which after different stainings is visible with the light microscope, corresponds with the two outer strata of the stratified electron-transparent layer, and is very thin in the top. (2) A middle layer, which is formed by the inner stratum of the electron-transparent layer, continues with about the same thickness in the top. (3) An inner layer, which is anisotropic and electron-dense, is deposited on the inside of the wall after meiosis. This layer becomes very thick in the top. Its central part is separated by a conical boundary plane to form the basal part of the opercular plug. Former studies on the structure and dehiscence of the ascus are discussed. The view that the ascus is suboperculate and characterized by having an interrupted apical ring is refuted.

Description: The generic names for fungi used by Maratti in his ‘Flora romana’ must be accepted as validly published. Notes are given on the validly re-published names. Of these Agaricum and Coralloides may cause some difficulties. Conservation of Fomes (Fr.) Fr. against Agaricum [Mich.] Maratti is proposed. To the nomina rejicienda of the conserved name Ramaria (Fr.) Bon. Coralloides [Tourn.] Maratti should be added.

Description: In the course of a study of coprophilous fungi collected in the Zoological Garden in Delhi, an ascomycete belonging to the genus Achaetomium was isolated. It differs from previously described species by larger ascospores and almost colourless ascomata with a wide apical opening.

Description: In the course of investigations on the fungal flora of the salt-marsh soils of Kuwait, a Gilmaniella species was isolated twice in 1973. Its smooth vegetative mycelium and large conidia with relatively wide germ pores indicated that it is sufficiently different from the only known species in Gilmaniella, G. humicola Barron (1964), to warrant its description as a new species.

Description: Buergersiochloa was described by Pilger in 1914 with B. bambusoides as the only species. A second species was added by S. T. Blake in 1946. Very little is known about this genus; the plants appear to be very rare in lowland primary forests of New Guinea and only 11 collections are presently known, nine of which were directly available for this study, while of a tenth extensive descriptions and drawings have been published. As was already pointed out by Pilger Buergersiochloa is evidently related to Olyra Linné. Phytogeographically this is very interesting, as Olyra belongs to the Olyreae, a tribe of the Bambusoideae practically restricted to the forests of Central- and South America. Only O. latifolia Linné is found also in Africa and Madagascar (probably not in the Mascarenes as indicated by Hubbard, 1959). Some have included the genera Pharus Linné and Leptaspis R. Br. in the Olyreae (e.g. Pilger, 1954), the latter genus occurring in New Guinea also, but Hubbard (1959) and Jacques-Félix (1962) have convincingly demonstrated that these genera belong to a separate tribe, the Phareae. Calderón & Soderstrom (1973) have even excluded it from the Bambusoideae.

Description: In the course of studying the Asteraceae for a proposed Alpine Flora of New Guinea the first author selected the genus Cotula for this separate paper as it showed some variability that was not easily explained. While working on this, Dr. Lloyd’s paper on the genus in the New Zealand Journal of Botany 10 (1972) 277, came to his notice and on corresponding with him it turned out that he had studied the New Guinea species already to some extent but had nothing ready for publication. At the same time, Dr. J. Koster of Leiden, Netherlands, was known to work on a study of all Asteraceae of New Guinea and it soon transpired that when the manuscript was finished and a copy sent to her that very same day she had put down the first words of her manuscript on this genus. She generously allowed us to go ahead with our publication and after Dr. Lloyd had reviewed the first author’s manuscript the paper developed as presented here. This group of small, mat-forming species has been known in New Guinea to date only by C. leptoloba Mattfeld, described from the Wharton Ra. in Papua. Since then, however, it has been collected in several other regions ranging from the Carstensz Mts. in West New Guinea to Mt. Aniata in the southeastern tip of Papua. At first glance the material looked rather homogenous, but on closer look it turned out that at least one species, the material from Mt. Wilhelmina, had to be taken out as new. At this stage, various papers by Dr. Lloyd from Christchurch, New Zealand, drew attention to the group more forcibly and critically. The material available was studied by Dr. Lloyd and he came to the conclusion that at least 4 species should be distinguished, with which the senior author could concur. The differences between the 4 species recognised here are considerable, but the species limits are not well known and the descriptions may need revising when further material is available. Three new species are described below and C. leptoloba is redescribed to include the variation observed in specimens from new localities.

Description: Identities are given for all 35 combinations published in Anplectrum A. Gray ( Melastomataceae) with additional notes on some of the taxa involved. Two new combinations are proposed in Creochiton Bl. and one in Dissochaeta Bl.

Description: A new monotypic genus Tamaricaria Qaiser & Ali of Tamaricaceae is described with a new combination i.e. Tamaricaria elegans (Royle) Qaiser & Ali.

Description: In Malesian Sterculiaceae there was still one enigmatic monotypic genus unsolved, Leptonychiopsis (parviflora) Ridl., J. R. As. Soc. Str. Br. 82 (1920) 173; Fl. Mai. Pen. 1 (1922) 290, described after a specimen collected by a Malayan, 10 Dec. 1892, filed under Ridley 3743. Ridley distinguished this from Leptonychia by its 3-merous flowers. Recently I could borrow a type sheet from the Kew Herbarium to which is attached an ample pencil-drawn analysis. Unfortunately, it is hardly feasible to check this, as there is only one small bud on the specimen, which I did not dare to analyse.

Description: 1. The interrelations between the genera together constituting the Dimocarpus group in the tribe Nephelieae are represented in a scheme. In this scheme are added the main characters that are thought to be of phylogenetic importance. 2. A neotype.is proposed for Cubilia cubili (Blanco) Adelb., the single species of its genus. To its distribution can be added the eastern half of Borneo, incl. also the Island of P. Laut. Mention is made of a geographic clinal variation in a few macromorphological characters. 3. Lilchi is considered to comprise only one species, L. chinensis Sonn., which is subdivided into three subspecies: subsp. chinensis, the commonly grown form, cultivated for thousands of years already, apparently adapted (by nature or partly by selection by man?) to a monsoon climate, if actually wild probably originating from northern Indo China; subsp. philippinensis (Radlk.) Leenh., a wild form closely related to subsp. chinensis, known from the Philippines and New Guinea; and subsp. javensis Leenh., strikingly different from both other forms, known only as a cultivated fruit tree from southern Indo China and Java, apparently adapted to an everwet tropical climate. For subsp. philippinensis a lectotype is proposed. 4. Pometia, though macromorphologically distinctly derived and, moreover, palynologically apparently very exclusive in the alliance under discussion, seems clearly connected with Dimocarpus, the central genus in the group.

Description: Description of a new species, Diploglottis bracteata Leenh., from Queensland, Australia. Reduction of Euphorianthus (E. Malesia) to Diploglottis (NE. Australia). Discussion of the occurrence of actinomorphic and zygomorphic flowers in the Sapindaceae in nearly all tribes and even within ten genera. Discussion of the systematic position of Diploglottis bracteata: this species seems distinctly allied to and more derived than the New Caledonian genus Storthocalyx, and thus may belong to an old element of the Queensland flora allied with that of New Caledonia. On the other hand, D. bracteata is within Diploglottis closest to the East Malesian species, whereas the further Australian species are distinctly more derived. They may belong to a younger element in the Queensland flora of Malesian derivation.

Description: Herbae erectae caespitosae 1.5—2.0 m altae; rhizoma suberectum 1—2 cm diametro. Folia multa apice rhizomatis spiratim aggregata; petioli usque ad 1 m longi basi vaginantes, sparsim pubescentes; laminae ellipticae oblongo-lanceolatae glabrae 18—35 cm longae, 8—15 cm latae, basi acutae vel cuneatae, apice breviter acuminatae, infra subvirides, nervis lateralibus multis parallelis, nervulis multis scalariformibus inter nervos subtiliter transverse reticulatis; costa basi incrassata gradatim angustata et a nervis lateralibus haud distincta. Pedunculus principalis terminalis usque ad 1.5 m altus ad apicem folio uno inflorescentia unaque, raro folium deest; folium pedunculare foliis primariis simile petiolo ad medium usque vaginante parce piloso, apicem versus pubescente. Inflorescentia laxe paniculata e spicis spiculisque constans, in axillam vaginae folii pedunculati, pedunculo ad 15 cm longo, bractea basi vaginante lineari-lanceolata puberula ad 10 cm longa; panicula puberula, 2—10-ramosa usque ad 15 cm longa et 10 cm lata; spicae 2—10, longitudine variantes, 3—8 cm longae usque ad 4 cm distantes e axillis bractearum principaliarum spiratim dispositae in rachibus principalibus; bracteae principaliae ovati-lanceolatae ± 2 cm longae, ± 1 cm latae, extus puberulae margine hirtae, cito ad medium usque, tandem basem versus in fibras multas secedentes; spiculae multae e axillis bractearum primariarum subspiraliter in spicis dispositae, usque ad 2 cm longae; bracteae primariac ovatae obtusae mucronatae ± 1.5 cm longae, ± 1 cm latae, extus puberulae margine hirtae bracteis principalibus similes. Flores albi in cymis parorum 1—3 vel plurorum; omnis par e axilla prophylli, flos unus paris omnis primo aperiens, ceterus invicem; prophyllum externum magnum dorsaliter 2-carinatum ovato-lanceolatum margine incurvum ± 14 mm longum et ± 5 mm latum, alis carinarum fimbriatis; prophylla interiora dorsaliter 3-carinata parva; pedicelli omnis paris basi connati ± 1 mm longi. Calycis lobi usque ad basim discreti, lineari-lanceolati extra hirti,± 1.2 cm longi, ± 2 mm lati. Corolla basi tubularis, tubo ± 7 mm longo lobis oblongis ovatis erectis obtusis ± 8 mm longis. Staminodia 4 in tubum connata tubum corollae adnata; lobi staminodiorum extemorum subaequales; lobus magnus obovatus obtusus marginibus recurvatis, ± 1 cm longus, ± 8 mm latus; lobus parvus subspathulatus recurvatus, ± 7 mm longus, ± 3 mm latus; staminodium interioris carnosum cucullatum, lobo laterali apicem styli includenti, ± 6 mm longum et ± 3 mm latum; staminodium interiorissimum cucullatum, staminodium extimum magnum omnino adnatum apicem stigmatis includens, infra stigma callo carnoso puberulo instructum, lobo ad laterem stigmatis auriculato. Stamen fertile 1-cellulare appendice subulata ± 1 mm longa uno latere instructum; filamenti segmentum librum ± 3 mm longum; anthera oblonga apiculata lutea ± 2 mm longa. Ovarium ±2 mm longum dense aureo villosum; stylus tubum staminalem adnatus ± 1 cm longus segmento libro cucullato ± 4 mm longo; stigma truncata irregulariter lobata. Fructus 3-lobatus sparsim breviter hirtus rubiginosus ± 9 mm longus, ± 7 mm latus; semina 3 oblonga subtrigona lurida ± 7 mm longa et ± 4 mm diametro arillis 2 lobatis albis lobis lineari-acuminatis ± 3 mm longis. Erect caespitose herbs, 1.5—2.0 m tall; rhizomes suberect, 1—2 cm thick. Leaves many, spirally crowded at apex of rhizome; petiole sheathing at base, up to 1 m long, sparsely pubescent; leaf-blade elliptic to oblong-lanceolate, acute to cuneate at base, shortly acuminate at apex, 18—35 cm long, 8—15 cm wide, glabrous, whitish green beneath; lateral nerves many, parallel, with many fine scalariform transversely reticulate nervules in between; midrib thickened towards base, gradually narrowed and indistinct from lateral nerves towards apex. Main peduncle terminal, up to 1.5 m tall, bearing one leaf and inflorescence at apex, rarely without leaf; peduncular leaf similar to primary leaves; petiole up to 15 cm long, sheathing at basal half, scattered hairy, pubescent towards apex. Inflorescence Inflorescence a lax panicle of spikes and spikelets, arising from axil of peduncular leafsheath with up to 15 cm long stalk, subtended by up to 10 cm long, linear-lanceolate, sheathing, puberulous bract at base; panicle up to 15 cm long, up to 10 cm wide, 2—10- branched, puberulous; spikes 2—10, of various length, 3—8 cm long, arranged at distances of up to 4 cm apart in axils of spirally arranged bracts on main rachis; bracts ovate-lanceolate, ± 2 cm long, ± 1 cm wide, puberulous outside, hairy at margins, soon splitting up in upper half into many fibres, later up to base; spikelets many, subspirally arranged on spikes in axils of primary bracts, up to 2 cm long; primary bracts ovate, obtuse, mucronate, ± 1.5 cm long, ± 1 cm wide, puberulous outside and along margins, similar to main bracts. Flowers white, in cymes of 1—3 or more pairs; each cymule (pair of flowers) in axil of a prophyll, one flower in each pair opening first, the other next; outer prophyll large, 2-keeled at back, ovate-lanceolate, ±14 mm long, ± 5 mm wide, incurved at margins, minutely fringed on wings of keels; inner prophylls 3-keeled at back, smaller; pedicels of each pair of flowers united at base, ± 1 mm long. Calyx-lobes free up to base, linear-lanceolate, ± 1.2 cm long, ± 2 mm wide, hairy outside. Corolla-tube ± 7 mm long; lobes oblong, ovate, obtuse, ± 8 mm long, erect. Staminodes 4. united into a tube and adnate to the corolla-tube; lobes of outer staminodes subequal; larger lobe obovate, obtuse, with recurved margins, ± 1 cm long, ± 8 mm wide; smaller lobe subspathulate, recurved, ± 7 mm long, ± 3 mm wide; fleshy inner staminode hood-shaped with a lateral lobe enclosing style apex, ± 6 mm long, ± 3 mm wide; innermost staminode hooded, entirely adnate to outer large staminode, enclosing lip of stigma, with a fleshy puberulous callus below stigma and an auricular lobe at side of stigma. Fertile stamen 1-celled, with a thin, subulate, ± 1 mm long appendage on one side; free portion of filament ± 3 mm long; anther ± 2 mm long, oblong, apiculate, yellow. Ovary ± 2 mm long, densely golden hairy outside; style adnate to staminodial tube, ± 1 cm long; free portion curved, hooded, ± 4 mm long; stigma irregularly lobed, truncate. Fruit 3-lobed, ± 9 mm long, ± 7 mm wide, sparsely short hairy, reddish-brown; seeds 3, oblong, subtrigonous, ± 7 mm long, ± 4 mm thick, dull brown; arils 2, lobed, white; lobes linear-acuminate, ± 3 mm long.

Description: The Star Mountains of New Guinea are situated at the geographic center of the Island of New Guinea extending on both sides of the Indonesian-Papua New Guinea border. Access to these mountains from either side of the border which divides the island is relatively difficult and as a result few collections have come from the area. A Dutch expedition traveled to the western Star Mountains in 1959, but ran into various difficulties and as a result did little collecting above 1500 m. In 1975 an expedition sponsored jointly by the Division of Botany, Lae, and the Rijksherbarium, Leiden, returned to the Star Mountains collecting extensively throughout the eastern half of the range. The results of this expedition include the first extensive collections of material from the higher altitudes within the Star Mountains. Material collected for the Division of Botany, Lae, by J. R. Croft and G. S. Hope while on the 1975 expedition is surprisingly rich in species of Rhododendron. I was asked by Mr. Croft to examine the Lae material prior to its distribution. The collections contain representatives of several poorly known species of the genus, at least one new plant record for Papua New Guinea, Rhododendron rubrobracteatum Sleumer, and the new taxon described below.

Description: Tristania R. Brown, Aiton’s Hortus Kewensis (2nd Ed.) 4 (1812) 417, was established with three species — T. neriifolia, T. laurina, and T. conferta. A number of other species have since been added to the genus and a recent study (Wilson, 1971) has shown that the three original species belong to three different groups and further that these groups are sufficiently different to warrant their separation at the generic level. All of the New Caledonian species belong to the Tristania laurina group. It has not yet been decided which of the groups should retain the original generic name, but if the T. laurina group is not selected the name Tristaniopsis Brongniart et Gris, Bull. Soc. Bot. Fr. 10 (1863) 371, would become available for it. Six species are currently recognised in New Caledonia where they mostly grow at low elevations in scrub and forest on ultrabasic rocks. Species of the same group are found in Australia, New Guinea, Borneo, and probably elsewhere in Malesia.

Description: The pollen morphology of all 11 species of the genus Mischocarpus is studied. All species possess basically the same syntricolpate pollen type. Transitions to the tricolpate type were observed rarely. Within the syntricolpate type, subtypes could be established. For a few species a rather wide range of variability in some characters is described. Pollen morphology correlates with macromorphology as well as with geography, thus supporting the results, based on macromorphological evidence, concerning infrageneric structure and relationships of Mischocarpus.

Description: At the age of 85, Herman Johannes Lam died at his house on the 15th of February, 1977. From 1933 to 1962 he was director of the Rijksherbarium and although the day of his retirement lies some 15 years behind us now, he is still remembered in our institute for his pleasant personal qualities. The Rijksherbarium as it is today we owe for a large part to his vision and work during the 29 years of his directorate. He broadened the basis of the institute’s research but kept intact its specialization; he succeeded in obtaining valuable collections; he started a programme of botanical expeditions; he provided a home for the Flora Malesiana, to mention some of his accomplishments. When he came to Leiden after a 14 years’ career in the Herbarium at Buitenzorg (now Bogor, Indonesia) he found a small and rather sleepy institute. Through the years of poverty before and during the war, and through the years of prosperity afterwards, he transformed this into a large herbarium which was (and still is, I hope) very much alive and active in many fields.

Description: In this fourth report on the taxonomy of Ulothrix Kützing a new classification of the marine and brackish-water species in western Europe is proposed. Comparative studies on field collections, uni-algal cultures, herbarium collections and sections prepared for electron microscopy lead to the recognition of three marine species, viz. Ulothrix speciosa (Carmichael ex Harvey in Hooker) Kützing, U. flacca (Dillwyn) Thuret in Le Jolis, and U. palusalsa Lokhorst (nov. nom.), and two brackish-water species, viz. U. implexa (Kützing) Kützing and U. subflaccida Wille. The vegetative anatomy, the life history, the fine structure of the vegetative thallus and the distributional pattern in nature are amply discussed. Salient, reliable characters proved to be, e.g., the nature and construction of the cell wall, the texture of the cell wall’s surface, the fine structure of the pyrenoid, the developmental stages of germinating zoospores, the coalescense of filaments, the shape of the gametangial filament, and the limited variation of the number of zoospores and gametes. A brief discussion is given of the ecological status of the individual species. In addition there is a brief comment on the taxonomic affinity of Ulothrix with the morphologically related genus Urospora Fries and on the phyletic relationship of Ulothrix with the progenitors of the higher land plants. The reproductive behaviour of the species under different photo periods in culture appeared to be correlated with the seasonal periodicity expressed by the algae in nature.

Description: There has been a notable divergence of opinion in the recent literature concerning the number of species of dammar (Agathis) that might occur in the general area of the Moluccas. Even early literature presents a tangled nomenclatural trail. Perhaps the difficulty in obtaining good representative collections from these huge rainforest emergents may explain the general lack of careful diagnostic descriptions that bedevils most contributions. Among the hundreds of specimens I have been able to study, however, I have found enough data to support a clear conclusion. The important dammar tree was among those described in the early work by Rumphius (1741) that dealt with Ambon. Meijer Drees (1940) reports that natives in the Moluccas recognize two types of dammar, the ‘white dammar’ damar putih) with abundant resin production and the ‘brown dammar’ damar merah) with poor resin production (the ‘white’ or clear resin does turn brown upon aging about a year). Presumably, Rumphius, who spoke of abundant resin, had in mind the ‘white dammar’ when he referred to this tree as Dammara alba.

Description: In a comprehensive treatment of Caltha, Petra Smit (Blumea 21: 119—150. 1973) unfortunately chose an incorrect name for her fourth variety under C. palustris L. Instead of var. radicans (Forst.) Beck, this taxon should be called C. palustris var. flabellifolia (Pursh) Torrey & Gray (Fl. N. Am. I: 27. 1838). Forster’s C. radicans was described in 1807 (Trans. Linn. Soc. 8: 324) and reduced to varietal status by Beck in 1886 (Verh. Zool. Bot. Gesellsch. Wien 36: 350). According to the current International Code of Botanical Nomenclature, no name has priority outside of its rank (cf. Art. 60). Inasmuch as C. palustris var. flabellifolia was the name first established for Smit’s variety d’, as such it has priority over C. palustris var. radicans (Forst.) Beck by 30 years.

Description: A world-wide revision of the tribe Naucleeae with a general discussion of the systematic position and affinities of the tribe and the genera. The generic concepts have been modified and 21 genera are recognized (Ochreinauclea, Ludekia, Diyaminauclea, Khasiaclunea, Adinauclea, Sinoadina, Pertusadina, and Haldina being new), which are placed in three subtribes, Anthocephalinae, Naucleinae, and Adininae, sublrib. now There are keys to the subtribes, genera, and species, followed by descriptions of the Asiatic and Malesian genera. The Asiatic species are described and accompanied by complete synonymy, but the Malesian species are treated in an abbreviated form. Three new species are described: Myrmeconauclea stipulacea, Ludekia borneensis, and Pertusadina malaccensis.

Description: The species related to Medinilla myrtiformis (Naud.) Triana are described and a key is given. A variety of M. monantha Merr. is recognized as a distinct species, while the typical form is considered a synonym of M. myrtiformis. M. neglecta Nayar is reduced to M. rubrifructus Ohwi.

Description: The type species of tie genus Polyscias (P. pinnata J. R. & G. Forst.) is closely related to a small number of Pacific and Indo-Malayan species, several of which have long been in cultivation. This group of species have a distinctive facies but can be defined most readily by the elongated sheathing leaf-base. The genus has usually been extended beyond this group to include other pinnate-leaved members of sub-family Schefflereae in which the pedicel is articulated below the flower. There has been uncertainty whether to restrict the genus to species in which the style arms are free or also to include species with connate styles. In his treatment of the New Guinea species, Harms (Bot. Jahrb. 56,1920: 374—414) does include some species with connate styles within Polyscias though also retaining the genus Kissodendron, a genus distinguished from Polyscias mainly by the united style arms. Bernardi (Candollea 26, 1971: 13—89) resolved this difficulty by uniting Kissodendron, and also Palmervandenbroekia, with Polyscias and this treatment is followed here. As thus defined, the genus comprises rather diverse elements, and these have been given sectional status.

Description: On 11 September 1976 dr. Reinier Cornelis Bakhuizen van den Brink will reach the age of 65 and so he must retire from his position as a senior botanist at the Rijksherbarium. He has worked in our institute since December 1943, after having obtained his doctor’s degree in Utrecht. At the Rijksherbarium he became heavily involved in the preparation of the so-called ‘emergency edition’ of C. A. Backer’s Beknopte Flora van Java, which was mimeographed during the war in order to restrict the chances of destroyal of Backer’s valuable manuscripts. When after the war it was decided to translate Backer’s concise flora into English and to update and complete it, he gradually took over the burden from Backer who in 1945 was already over seventy. As a consequence the Flora of Java, published in three parts between 1963 and 1968, bears both names as authors on the title-page. Quite appropriately too, seeing that he devoted so much of his time, energy, and knowledge to this piece of work.

Description: A sheet of the BSIP collections, gathered in Vanikoro Island, Santa Cruz group, near the proper Solomon Is., had tentatively been identified as probably belonging to Euphorbiaceae, but was discarded by Airy Shaw in 1962 and now again in 1974. Closer examination showed it to belong to Melicytus, a suggestion made by Dr. R. C. Bakhuizen van den Brink Jr. This genus is distributed in the West Pacific Islands, from New Zealand to Samoa; it was mapped by Van Balgooy in Pacific Plant Areas (2, 1966, 103). Though the specimen is male, we assume it to belong to Melicytus, not Hymenanthera. This represents a considerable extension of the generic area. Comparing the floral structure it is distinctly different from the Samoan form and also from M. ramiflorus Forst. by the large, elongated, long-acuminate petals. It is a good match of the Fijian

Description: A species with the habit of Aristida divaricata H. et B., but welldistinguished by the wanting column and the curious tuberculate lemmas. Closely allied to Aristida gentilis HENR., which differs however in the other position of the glumes and in the smooth lemma. The species resembles in some characters the Aristida Parishii HITCHC., the latter has however a totally different shape of the panicle and the lemma is not tuberculate-hispid, but scabrous only on the upper half. Among duplicates from the U. S. Nat. Herbarium, kindly received from Mrs. A. CHASE, I found a second plant belonging to the species, a plant also collected in Arizona, north slope of Santa Rita Mountains, leg. D. GRIFFITHS no. 7269.

Description: The factors influencing the development of brashness in timber are discussed. These are reduction in density; changes in moisture content and temperature; ultrastructural changes; changes in chemical composition; and the presence of compression damage. Examples are cited and illustrated. Attention is paid to the recognition of the causes of brashness in the field and in the laboratory.

Description: The duration of cambial activity, and change in wood structure from early to latewood, are considered in relation to the initiation of scale and foliage leaves, and shoot extension, in Picea abies, Pseudotsuga menziesii, Quercus robur, Fraxinus excelsior, and Fagus sylvatica. The initiation of cambial activity appears to be associated with the production of the first scales at the shoot apex, but the cessation of cambial activity does not appear to coincide with the end of primordial initiation at the apex. In P. abies and P. menziesii leaf initiation continues at a rapid rate for several weeks after cambial activity has ceased. In Q. robur, F. excelsior, and F. sylvatica cambial activity continues longer than leaf initiation. The decline in vessel or tracheid diameter is not consistently related to the change from initiation of scales to initiation of foliage leaves. In the ring porous hardwoods the rapid decline in vessel diameter at the end of the earlywood coincides with the cessation of shoot elongation, but in the other species vessel or tracheid diameter declines steadily from the beginning of the earlywood.

Description: A list is provided of the species, subspecies and synonyms of the tipulid genus Nephrotoma Meigen, 1803. The distribution of each species is given in subregional quotations.

Description: The purpose of the Nederlandse Groenland Expeditie 1975 was the study of Long-tailed Skua (de Korte, see page 6) and several species of waders (Bosman, see page 4) in the Scoresbysund region (East Greenland). In addition to skua’s and waders we studied breeding biology of geese in spring and growth and mortality of Arctic Tern chicks on Fame Øer in August. These studies were a continuation of previous work in the area (de Korte, 1973 and 1974). We choose another base than in 1973 and 1974 (Kap Stewart) and worked mainly near Kaerelv at the head of Hurry Inlet. Forty eight bird specimens belonging to 12 species were collected and skinned. The stomach contents have been preserved in spirits for subsequent examination.

Description: A list of the species and subspecies, including synonyms, of the tipulid subfamily Ctenophorinae is provided. References to the literature are nearly complete. The distribution of the species is indicated by abbreviations and figures referring to the geographic regions and subregions. A survey of the distribution of the 5 genera is given separately.

Description: 1. Samples of benthic invertebrate fauna were collected in – a ditch, situated in a protected area in the peaty area near the Maarsseveense plassen (prov. Utrecht), – four ditches in the neighbourhood of Castricum (N-Holland), not far from the dune district, – two ditches with water of a high chloride-content on Texel (N- Holland). 2. The faunistic results, with the additional information of some physical and chemical data on the different sampling points, made it possible to draw some conclusions concerning – the importance of the factor salinity for a faunistically oriented typology of ditches, – the importance of the group Hydracarina for a classification of ditch-biocenoses, – the influence of artificial current, caused by the inlet of water, on the invertebrate fauna of ditches and on the faunistical evaluation of the pollution-level in ditches.

Description: The present material has been collected at three occasions: during a stay on Curaçao and Bonaire (Netherlands Antilles) in 1958/59, and again in 1973/74, and during a visit in 1963 to La Parguera, Puerto Rico. The copepods recorded here as associates of Actiniaria and Corallimorpharia (Asclerocorallia) all belong to the Cyclopoida. Two sections of these are represented: the Poecilostomata and the Siphonostomata. Members of other copepod groups were not found in the Antillean region on the hosts in question.

Description: Variability in the anatomy of root wood of selected specimens particularly Fraxinus excelsior L. and Acer pseudoplatanus L. in the Kew reference microscope slide collection is discussed in relation to generalised statements in the literature on root wood anatomy.

Description: The variation in wood anatomy within 30 hardwood species, each with a distribution covering both rain forest and savanna areas of the Ivory Coast, Africa, has been studied. Compared to specimens from the rain forest, material from the savanna tends to have more wood ray tissue (rays are higher, wider, and more numerous) and slightly more vessel tissue (vessels are more numerous and wider, although they are often composed of shorter vessel members). Within any one species the total amount of axial wood parenchyma in the material from both areas is practically constant. The results are discussed with reference to latitudinal variation and major trends of phylogenetic wood specialization.

Description: A theoretical flow model shortly to be published elsewhere describes the rate of axial flow of liquids, through conifer wood in response to known pressure differentials. This is based on certain assumptions as to the structure and ultrastructure of wood. The model predicts very different flow conditions for earlywood and latewood cells. While these predicted conditions are approximately similar to those observed experimentally by tree physiologists, it is not yet clear what advantages the reduced conductivity of latewood cells could convey to the tree.

Description: The shedding of branches along a preformed layer is a complex phenomenon in which several types of xylem elements are involved. The abscission layers in Perebea mollis and Naucleopsis guianensis are distinguished from the normally developed xylem by the presence of shorter unlignified fibres with small simple pits. Most of these fibres show large nuclei. In this zone containing abnormal fibres, the vessels, rays and parenchyma are conspicuously different from those of the normal tissue. The transition in anatomy from the main branch to the abscission layer is much more abrupt than that from the abscission layer to the secondary branch. Contrary to what is generally seen in other Moraceous tribes, natural pruning seems to occur in all genera of Olmedieae with the sole exception of the genus Olmedia. The correlation with other morphological and anatomical characters and the complexity of the phenomenon of branch abscission seem to justify Berg’s decision to use this character in defining the new tribe Castilleae, containing all the genera formerly placed in Olmedieae except Olmedia.

Description: This report is the seventh in a series of papers dealing with Mysidacea (Crustacea) from shallow water in the tropical and warm-temperate areas of the western Atlantic (BRATTEGARD 1969, 1970a, 1970b, 1973, 1974a, 1974b). Five of these are dealing with material collected by the author in southern Florida, the Bahamas, Colombia and Panamá. Another paper deals with shallow-water mysids gathered mainly in Mexico (Quintana Roo province) and the Antilles. Hitherto unpublished material of shallow-water mysids collected by various investigators working in near-shore water of the Lesser Antilles and other Caribbean regions is presented in this publication together with previously published records from the area. At least 20 species were collected; new and previous records are presented with short notes on geographical distribution and ecology.

Description: An annotated list of the brachyuran (12) and anomuran (1) tree-climbing crabs of Trinidad (West Indies) is presented (see Table 1 for species names). Some of the species mentioned (e.g. Aratus pisonii, Goniopsis cruentata) are well-known treeclimbers, in others (e.g. Sesarma roberti, S. ricordi) this peculiar behaviour is recorded for the first time. Some data on the diet and the locomotion of climbing Grapsidae are given. Aratus was found to feed mainly on algae and decayed wood, not on mangrove leaves. A synopsis of pertinent data from literature (Table 2) yielded 30 further species names of tree-climbing crabs. Like in Trinidad, most of these belong to systematic groups comprising many or only semiterrestrial species. The trees ascended are mangroves in about half of all cases. Motives, grades, phyletic routes, predispositions and consequences of the habit of tree-climbing are discussed.

Description: The study of some newly collected material from the West Indies may justify a fourth paper on Caribbean Tenebrionidae in these “Studies”. Thanks to dr. P. WAGENAAR HUMMELINCK’S collecting work, the Tenebrionid fauna of the Antilles and the adjacent South American mainland shores may be considered to be pretty well known — at least as far as the Melasomes are concerned. Thus zoogeographical conclusions — though not differing essentially from those published in 1962 — appear to have a rather solid basis. Unfortunately much less is known about planticolous Tenebrionids, which anyhow are relatively less interesting for zoogeographical purposes, than the geophilous ones. We also had the privilege of consulting the collections of the I.N.R.A. at Guadeloupe (see MARCUZZI & D’AGUILAR 1971) which considerably increased our knowledge of the Tenebrionid fauna of that and neighbouring islands. Several specimens on hand at the Institute of Marine Biology, Mayagüez, proved extremely useful for obtaining a better knowledge of the Tenebrionid fauna of the old, sedimentary island of Puerto Rico. In a few single cases material from other sources (British Museum, Museum G. Frey and the private collection of the author) has been used.

Description: A survey is given of the assassin bugs (Reduviidae) collected on the six Netherlands Antilles. All together 22 species were sampled: 6 Emesinae, 1 Saicinae, 8 Harpactorinae, 1 Piratinae, 4 Stenopodinae, 1 Triatominae and 1 Phymatinae. Sixteen species were captured on the three islands of the Leeward Group, Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire; seven species were found on the three islands of the Windward Group, St. Eustatius, Saba and St. Martin; both groups of islands have only 1 species in common. The local distribution of the species represented (Table 1) does not fit with their known gross distribution in the neotropics. Curaçao harbours more than 70% of the total number of species; zoogeographical aspects have been discussed. Two species are described as new; Cosmoclopius curacavensis (Harpactorinae), living on Curaçao as a predator exclusively on the weed Cleome viscosa, and Oncerotrachelus sabensis (Saicinae) from Saba. The identity of some Emesinae and the single phimatine specimen captured remain unsettled for the present. Triatoma maculata. vector of a T. cruzi strain with low virulence, occurs in two colour forms; the dark one restricted to Aruba, the light-coloured form to Curaçao and Bonaire. Total drawings of most species are presented in addition to some 120 figures of structural details of eggs, larvae and adults. Features of eggs and genitalia are discussed on pages 17-28. Some points of general interest are: The egg of Sinea coronata appeared to be quite different from what is known from other Sinea spp. Eggs of Piratinae have movable slips with plastron function. The harpactorines Atrachelus fuscus and Sinea coronata lack parameres. Behavioural aspects concerned with utilizing sticky material have been summarized. Evidence is presented that the subrectal gland, occurring in many Harpactorinae, secretes the colleterial liquid for the egg-batch. The asymmetrical genitalia of the Piratinae and the endosomal brush zone and basal differentiation of the ductus ejaculatorius in some Stenopodinae are stressed.

Description: Some twenty-five years have passed since short descriptions were published of marine and saltpond habitats sampled in the Caribbean during three zoological collecting trips made by the author in 1930, 1936/37 and 1948/49 (these Studies, vol. 4, no. 17, 1953). Sampling of the shallow coastal waters of the Caribbean was continued in 1955, 1963/64, 1967, 1968, 1970 and 1973, during six visits the main purpose of which was not always the study of the marine fauna. Although collecting was done single-handed and rather incidentally, with no other equipment than a knife, fine-meshed nets, formaldehyde and alcohol, the material collected proved to be sufficiently valuable for scientific purposes to justify the publication of a list of the new marine localities. In this paper the descriptions of the “Marine Habitats”, published in 1953 (p. 56-58) are included, but those of the “Salt Pond Habitats” (p. 69-77) are only referred to.

Description: The mites listed in the present paper have been collected from July to October 1971 by the junior author and Drs. N. J. J. KOK during their stay in Surinam with financial aid of the Netherlands Foundation for the Advancement of Tropical Research (WOTRO). Mites have been collected occasionally mainly from birds, found dead on the roads, and from captured birds which died in the pet shop “Tropical Wildlife”, Paramaribo. As in many instances the hosts were decayed, few mites could be prepared. The relation of formerly described species to new species clearly shows our poor knowledge of parasites on birds from this region. Most of the species have been described by the senior author (ČERNÝ, 1974a, b, 1975). This paper contains descriptions of new Trouessartia species and a survey of all species found. The taxa are arranged in alphabetical order.

Description: During a study still in progress on the fauna of phreatic waters of various West Indian islands, a number of isopods of the family Microparasellidae were obtained. Although material from some 20 Caribbean islands was examined, only the island of Bonaire yielded microparasellid isopods so far. These animals are described in the present paper. Up to now, the only other West Indian records for the family are those of COINEAU & BOTOSANEANU, 1973, from Cuba. The methods employed are the same as in my previous study (STOCK, 1976a) on the Antillean Thermosbaenacea. All chlorinities have been determined with the aid of an E.E.L. electric chlorinimeter.

Description: On Jamaica many of the endemic land birds are poorly known from an ecological and behavioral standpoint. Therefore, the following information on the food, foraging behavior, and habitats of the Jamaican Lizard Cuckoo Saurothera vetula), obtained while engaged in other studies, should be helpful in the future analyses of this species. To my knowledge the only references to its food habits are that of GOSSE (1847) who found invertebrates (caterpillars, locusts, and spiders) and vertebrates (Anolis lizards and a mouse) in the stomach of this species and of DANFORTH (1928) who found a large green lizard Anolis garmani) and beetles in the stomach of a bird he collected. The Jamaican Lizard Cuckoo is widely distributed, occurring from lowland limestone scrub forest to montane forest. Throughout its distribution it prefers dense woodlands and thickets, although on occasion it is found in more open country.

Description: In 1973, 1974 and 1975 I visited St. Maarten, Netherlands Antilles. During these visits I spent much time observing birds on this island, while short excursions were also made to the neighbouring islands Saba and St. Eustatius. The periods of our visits were: ST. MARTIN: 7-19 April, 30 April-3 May and 11-19 May 1973, 1-7 and 16-27 February, 2-11 and 18-31 December 1974, 6-13 January 1975. SABA: 4-8 May 1973. ST. EUSTATIUS: 8-10 May 1973, 8-15 February and 12-17 December 1974.

Description: Since publication of “The Amphibia of Trinidad” (KENNY 1969) some minor errors have been drawn to the attention of the author. Also, it has been possible to do some additional field observations which have resulted in a new record for Trinidad and the extension of the distribution of two species. This short paper summarises this new information.

Description: The author supposes that the fossil content of thin carbonate units in the Upper La Vid shales (Lower Devonian) of Colle was influenced by heavy storms like hurricanes. Apart from microplankton (Cramer, 1964) no fossils are found in the shales. Together with the very well developed fissility of the shales this points to abiotic conditions, probably caused by the lack of oxygen in the deposition area. Alterations, e.g. by storms, of the water circulation pattern in the basin destroyed this situation, and a pioneer fauna was able to develop. Sometimes storm debris, probably deposited by hurricanes, served as a substrate for larvae which settled in the area. Little by little the former situation of lack of oxygen returned and the communities died.

Description: In the delta of the rivers Fluvia and Muga, the Quaternary is hydrogeologically the most important deposit. It is underlain by Pliocene marls and clays. From geo-electrical soundings and bore-hole data a map with depth contours of the Quaternary-Pliocene boundary plane was constructed. Near the coast the Quaternary consists of two aquifers. One of the restrictions of the resistivity method is that the second aquifer is too thin in respect to its depth. Therefore only the formation resistivities of the complete Quaternary were calculated. By comparing the map of formation resistivities with maps of the clay percentage and the water resistivities in the Quaternary, prospective areas for waterwinning can be delineated. To the north of the delta, Silurian granites and schists crop out. A gravimetric survey over the contact shows a gently sloping boundary of the granite and schist with the Eocene-Pliocene of ca. 15°. From geo-electrical data a comparable inclination of 10° was found. The pre-Eocene topography here is thought to have been formed under tectonic control but the inclination of the Eocene-Pliocene to granite/schist would seem to be too shallow to correspond to a normal fault plane.