ALBERT

Description: The genus Praravinia was created by KORTHALS (in TEMMINCK, Verhand. Nat. Gesch. Ned. Overz. Bezitt., Bot., p. 189, tab. 41, 1839-1842) for a plant which he had collected in the south-eastern part of Borneo. He described it as similar in habit and doubtless nearly related to Urophyllum WALL. His diagnosis of the genus, however, does not substantiate this point of view, for it contains two statements which seem to exclude the possibility of a near affinity: the aestivation of the corolla lobes is described as imbricate, whereas in Urophyllum and its allies it is always valvate, and the number of corolla lobes is said to be half as large as that of the stamens, a condition unknown not only in Urophyllum but in the whole family. As in the description of the species the aestivation is correctly set down as valvate, the first statement need not trouble us: the word “imbricate” in the generic diagnosis is obviously a slip of the pen. The other statement, however, is repeated in the description of the species, but it strikes one as anomalous that immediately afterwards the 8—12 stamens are said to alternate with the corolla lobes, as this of course would be impossible when the latter were but half as numerous as the first. The discrepancy between the number of the corolla lobes and of the stamens led MIQUEL in his “Flora Indiae Batavae II, p. 225 (1857)” to consider Praravinia as a quite singular genus, rather out of place in the family Rubiaceae: it reminded him, he says, of the Samydeae (Flacourtiaceae). When he wrote this, he knew the genus merely from the description given by KORTHALS, but afterwards he found an opportunity to study the latter’s material. In his “De quibusdam Rubiaceis, Apocyneis et Asclepiadeis” (Ann. Mus. Bot. Lugd.-Bat. IV, p. 136, 1869) he proposes, as a result of this investigation, to exclude the genus from the Rubiaceae, and to raise it to family rank. The new family, for which he introduces the name Metrocladeaceae, should be regarded, however, as nearly related to the Rubiaceae. The description of the genus given by MIQUEL is much more detailed than the original one, but it unfortunately repeats its principal errors: the corolla is described as 4- to 6-merous, and its aestivation as imbricate. The male flower dissected by him is preserved in the Utrecht Herbarium; it is a fairly young bud, opened by a longitudinal slit. The corolla lobes had apparently been separated by a slight pressure, but I at once got the impression that it had been insufficient to effect a complete separation, and that the lobes were still cohering in pairs. I have boiled the flower therefore once more, and by exercising in my turn a slight pressure I succeeded in setting all the lobes free. Since then I have seen mature flowers of this and other species in which the isomery of corolla and androecium was unmistakable. MIQUEL’s speculations on the taxonomic position of the genus were based therefore on a false supposition, and need no further consideration; the analysis carried out below will show that KORTHALS was quite right when he placed Praravinia in the neighbourhood of Urophyllum.

Description: The name Pleiocarpidia was coined by K. SCHUMANN (ENGLER und PRANTL, Natürliche Pflanzenfamilien, Nachträge I, p. 314, 1897) for a genus described in 1873 by HOOKER f. (BENTHAM et HOOKER, Genera Plantarum II (1), p. 71) as Aulacodiscus: HOOKER’S genus had to be rebaptized, because the name Aulacodiscus had been used already in 1844 by EHRENBERG for a genus belonging to the Diatomeae. A proposal made by O. KUNTZE(POST et KUNTZE, Lexicon, 1904) to change the spelling of the name introduced by SCHUMANN in Pliocarpidia can not be accepted, as there is no rule prescribing the transcription of the Greek diphthong in the manner advocated by the proposer. The plant on which HOOKER’S genus was founded, a small tree not uncommon in the Malay Peninsula, had been described already several years before by WIGHT (Calc. Journ. Nat. Hist. VII, p. 144, 1847) under the name Axanthes enneandra. The specific epithet points to the presence of nine stamens in the flower, but this is exceptional: in the flowers investigated by me the ordinary number proved to be seven. The genus Axanthes Bl., to which the species had been referred by WIGHT, was reduced shortly afterwards by BENTHAM and HOOKER f. (Niger Flora,p. 396,1849) and independently by KORTHALS (Ned. Kruidk. Arch. II, 2, p. 194,1851) to Urophyllum Wall. Later HOOKER made an exception for Axanthes enneandra Wight. The flowers of this plant were described by him as 8- to 16-merous, and on account of this character and of the presence of a “peltate stigma” he referred it to a new genus. Afterwards a second species from the same region was described by KING and GAMBLE under the name Aulacodiscus Maingayi, but this proved identical with the first (cf. RIDLEY, Flora of the Malay Peninsula II, p. 64, 1923). A really new species, however, was found in Mindanao: it was described by Merrill as Pleiocarpidia lanaensis.

Description: As an introduction to a number of researches of his own the author wishes to give the following data: „Veen” has two meanings in Dutch: 1. in a petrographic sense (peat) Von Büllow’s definition was accepted: „Torf” ist zu deflnieren als ein meist dunkles, kohlenstoffreiches und ± saures Gemenge unvollständig spezifisch-zersetzter Pflanzenteile, das erdgeschichtlich jüngste Glied der Verwantschaftsreihe der Kohlen, dessen Bildung noch heute andauert.” 2. in a plant-sociological-geographic sense (bog) the following definition has been suggested: a bog is a plot, the surface of which consists of a layer of peat, either covered or not with vegetation, with which that layer is genetically connected. The classification of bogs according to their position with regard to the water-level of the surroundings (Staring) and that of the geological chart were rejected on account of their ambiguous character. The classification suggested by Van Baren according to the environment in which the bogs have been formed, was likewise thought insufficient. Preference was given to the classification according to the plants which gave rise to the peat (eutrophic, mesotrophic and oligotrophic bogs) and according to the origin of the water needed for peat formation (topogenous, ombrogenous and soligenous bogs). The conditions of peat-formation are of a botanical (presence of a vegetation and micro-organisms), climatologic (presence of a certain temperature and moisture) and geological nature (presence of a basin, valley or dead river-branch, certain level of ground water, a possible impervious layer). With reference to a number of authors (Picardt; Van Lier; Grisebach, Venema and Staring; Weber) the alteration in conception as to peatformation from the 17th via the 18th and 19th to the 20th century has been given. The word „Peel” cannot be derived from „palus”. Nothing is certain about its origin. It may mean the low land, bog or marsh. The bogs of the Peel lie on the Brabant-Limburg border-plateau (fig. 2). Lorié and Pannekoek van Rheden have shown that the peatformation of the Peel is likely to have occurred in channels, which have been formed by the Meuse, in co-operation with wind and rain (fig. 4). The bogs were therefore in the first instance topogenous formations, which afterwards developed into ombrogenous bogs. For his own research the author collected peat in three ways: 1. by cutting lumps of peat from open profiles; 2. by boring with a simple peat-bore (photograph 1); 3. by boring with the Utrecht peat-bore, an improvement on Dachnowski’s (fig. 5). To assist in the pollen-analytic examination the samples were treated according to Erdtman’s method. The latter has the following advantages compared with the usual treatment with a 10% KOH-solution: 1. the surface-structures of the pollen-grains are more distinct and as a result the grains themselves can be recognized better; 2. the pollen is more concentrated, so that in spite of the method taking up much time, a saving of time is possible. How the method is applied may be found in the chapter concerned (p. 38 and following). For the stratigraphic examination the samples were broken apart in a glass-bowl of water and viewed with a binocular microscope. Dry sandy samples were broken in water, when seeds and other vegetative parts came floating to the top; next they were put with a brush on thick blotting paper and studied through the binocular microscope. The designations for the sediments and species of peat have been derived from Fægri & Gams. For Scheuchzeria peat a new designation has been added. A plea was made for replacing the word pollen-analysis by „palynology”. A survey of the observations and examinations up to abt. 1935 closes the introduction (see the diagrams of Weber, Erdtman and Duyfjes in the figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9). The author’s own research refers to the Southern and Astense Peel, as in the remaining grounds of the geological chart indicated I 4v (= raised bog) no samples could be taken owing to the digging off having progressed too far. 10 profiles were examined. The situation of the bore-sites has been given in the geological chart of the grounds (fig. 3). The result of the examination (figs. 10—27) and the discussion on it may be summerized as follows: Zoning of pollen-diagrams The sub-zoning of the late- and post-glacial periods according to Blytt & Sernander has proved useful as a zoning of pollen-diagrams, provided atlantic and sub-boreal are joined. It is desirable to replace Blytt & Sernander’s terminology by a different one, because the authors gave a climatologic connotation to their names of periods. The limit between pleistocene and holocene was drawn between preboreal and boreal as Florschütz did. As phases of the holocene the following names were suggested: young post-glacial = sub-atlantic mid post-glacial = sub-boreal and atlantic old post-glacial = boreal. Neither in the Peel nor elsewhere in Holland have Allerød-deposits been found. They are not likely to be found either, as on account of the long distance from the land-ice-margin the flora will have been hardly or not at all influenced by the Allerød interstadial period. For Holland therefore the zoning of the late-glacial according to Firbas (1935) may be considered sufficient. The names of the periods do not bear a climatologic connotation as those of the post-glacial phases do. For the sake of a unity the following names have been suggested: young late-glacial = pre-boreal mid late-glacial = sub-arctic period old late-glacial = arctic period. Forest-history In a table (p. 98), in which likewise the Peel diagrams of Weber, Erdtman and Duyfjes have been inserted, the examined profiles have been arranged from North to South. From each profile it has been stated whether it originated in a certain period (+) or not (—). The sub-arctic phase was characterized by forests of Betula and Pinus and was followed by the pre-boreal phase, in which Corylus and Alnus occurred. Also from the other Dutch diagrams (see list on p. 99) it appeared that in the Netherlands the Alnus pollen occurs with an equal frequency before, during and after that of the Quercetum mixtum. The old post-glacial zone of the diagrams shows a peak in the Pinusline. In contrast with the from Mid-Europe there is not always a maximum in the Corylus-curve after the Pinus-peak. In other Dutch diagrams this phenomenon is likewise found. Only in 28% of all Dutch profiles with a boreal zone does a hazel-maximum succeed a Pinus one. They often co-incide (16%), while in the remaining cases no hazelpeak has been established. There is no fixed order of sequence in the occurrence of the components of the Quercetum mixtum, either in the Peel or elsewhere in Holland. The mid post-glacial is the phase of culmination of warmth-loving forest elements: Alnus pollen shows the highest percentage in this zone. Quercus pollen also occurs in great quantities, while Ulmus and Tilia take up an important place up to the „Grenzhorizont”. The absolute and empiric Fagus pollen limits are found at different heights in the mid post-glacial zone of the diagrams, the rational limit lies somewhere near the „Grenzhorizont”. In the young post-glacial phase the Fagus pollen attains fairly high percentages (up to 30%). The maxima in the East and South-east of the Netherlands are between 20% and 38%; they decrease towards the coast and increase towards the South-east (Hautes Fagnes, Belgium) and East (Germany). It seems incorrect to class the Netherlands almost entirely among the oak-alderterritory poor in beeches, as Firbas did. An attempt has been made to fit the Peel-diagrams into Overbeck & Schneider’s zonation system. For the territory for which it has been made there are already difficulties (p. 104), for use in the Peel and other Dutch diagrams there are even more objections (p. 68, 104). Godwin’s zonation system appeared to be a little less forced, but not quite useful on account of too many details. From his horizons that of Ulmus proved useless for the continent. Neither for the Peel nor for the Netherlands and its surrounding territory can a detailed zonation system be designed. It has proved difficult to proceed any farther than Rudolph’s „Grundsukzession”: birch, pine-hazel-mixed oak-forest-beech, in which the alder generally joins the mixed oak-forest and the hornbeam the beech. Before drawing far-reaching conclusions from the course of the curves (as has been done by some authors) more palynological researches are needed in accordance with the actuality principle, known from geology. Pollen-grains from warmth-loving trees in seemingly sub-arctic spectra In profile 4 (Deurnse Peel II) pollen-grains of Abies, Alnus, Picea, Tilia, Ulmus and Corylus were found in the „late-glacial” zone (figs. 14, 15). Investigations were made as to which of the following possibilities would be the cause of their appearance: 1. in taking and preparing the samples pollution occurred; 2. pollen-transport over long distances has taken place; 3. the pollen-grains found have got secondarily into the deposit; 4. warmth-loving trees have occurred in favourable circumstances in the late-glacial phase or 5. in an interstadial period or in an interglacial phase. The said pollen-grains probably hail from a Würm interstadial or interglacial phase. Interglacial peat On the site of the bore-point 7 it was possible to collect samples from the layers under the peat. The upper 40 cm of the diagram Griendtsveen IX (fig. 27) of this profile proved a repetition of the lower 40 cm of the Griendtsveen I profile (fig. 18). The diagram shows that pollen of Carpinus, Picea and Abies occurs showing the deposit to be of interglacial age. The pollen-curves, however, pass unnoticed from an interglacial into a post-glacial portion. The limit is likely to be found between the two, about 30 cm below the mowing field. There is therefore a great stratigraphic hiatus. Pollen-analytically it could not be decided from which interglacial period the profile hails; on account of its situation on the middle terrace, it was deemed likely that it was an Eem sea deposit. The examined profile probably corresponds to Jessen & Milthers’ zone g; showing it to have been formed at the end of the Eem sea period. The Meuse therefore cannot have flowed through this part of the Astense Peel after the mid Eemean phase. Stratigraphy This is difficult to summarize. Compare various profiles. Individual mention may be made here of: 1. peat on a podsol layer; this was found in two places (Deurnse Peel I Kraaienhut and Griendtsveen VIII). Peat-formation may be thought to have occurred in the following way: heather started growing on drift-sand giving rise to a podsol layer. As the latter is impervious the vegetation surface became marshy. The heath was replaced by a Caricetum from which peat arose. Gradually more Eriophorum occurred, from which almost pure vaginatum peat arose. The bog-surface grew moister and moister, Sphagnum cuspidatum and Scheuchzeria could grow on it and formed a „Vorlaufstorf”. Only then could non-extremehydrophile Sphagna join in peat-formation. 2. the occurrence of Scheuchzeria-peat after the „Grenzhorizont” period. This species of peat, which is often found at the basis of the old Sphagnum-peat as a mesotrophic transition vegetation, has for the Netherlands only been found in the young post-glacial phase in the Peel (Deurnse Peel I Kraaienhut, Griendtsveen V and VIII and Nederweerd). At present the plant is very rare. The severe decline of this plant was also observed elsewhere. Probably it is caused by the gradual drying up or reclaiming of the raised bogs. Of the present station of Scheuchzeria near Ommen a short description has been given (p. 59 and photographs 2, 3, 4). 3. the „Grenzhorizont”. Where the young Sphagnum-peat has not been dug for the preparation of moss-litter, the Peel bogs show a clear „Grenzhorizont” (photograph 8). The conceptions about its origin have been discussed. The distinct separation between the old and the young Sphagnum-peat was not considered sufficiently explained. Though on the whole the „Grenzhorizont” is synchronous in the North-west European profiles, the point of transition from old to young Sphagnumpeat was fairly unstable and easily changeable as to time. Generally the date of the „Grenzhorizont” is fixed at about 500 A.D., though there are differences in opinion. There is a lack of archeological correlation which renders a correct dating impossible. Interference of man in the Peel Three ways of interference were stated: 1. peat has been dug off for the greater part in the territory of the Peel: young Sphagnum-peat for the preparation of moss-litter, old Sphagnum-peat for fuel. The trees which appeared when the bog was dug up in the „Veenderij der Maatschappij Griendtsveen” are sometimes in so good a condition, that they are used for building sheds. The 1 st, 2nd and 4th beam in the foreground of the shed in photo 5 has been sawn from a 30 m long subfossil pine. 2. in a native peat-digging it was possible to collect recent young Sphagnum-peat. 40 to 50 years ago the peasants living there had dug peat in holes, which were afterwards left to themselves. Sphagnum started growing again and the holes were filled in again. The diagram (fig. Griendtsveen VII) represents the surrounding heath with scattered pines and birches, sown by the wind, and a pine-plantation close by. 3. in the profiles Nieuwe Peel, Griendtsveen VI and VII it has been fixed by the indications given by Firbas, that only in the surface layers of the bog has corn-pollen occurred. So in these parts cultivation of cereals will be of recent date. This also appeared from the history of the reclamation of the said territory.

Description: JEAN BAPTISTE CHRISTOPHE FUSÉE AUBLET est né à Salon (Provence) le 4 nov. 1720 et mort à Paris le 6 mai 1778. Dès son enfance il se passionna pour l’étude des plantes. Il alla étudier la botanique à Montpellier. De Montpellier il se rendit à Lyon, où il fit la connaissance de CHRISTOPHE DE JUSSIEU et il s’engagea dans le service des hôpitaux de l’armée commandée par l’infant DON PHILIPPE. Dégoûté bientôt de la vie des camps, il prit son congé, et vint à Paris. Là il se logea dans la maison du chimiste VANEL, suivait les cours de chimie de ROUELLE, visitait les environs de Paris en naturaliste et consultait BERNARD DE JUSSIEU comme une bibliothèque, pour nous servir de son expression. Ensuite il s’engagea au service de l’état et fut chargé d’établir à l’île-de-France (Mauritius) une pharmacie centrale et un jardin de botanique. Il s’embarqua en décembre 1752 et arriva vers la fin du mois d’août suivant. Il y fit un séjour de neuf ans, pendant lequel il envoya maintes fois des collections de plantes, de minéraux et d’animaux à la patrie. A peine de retour en France, il reçut l’ordre de s’embarquer à Bordeaux pour la Guyane. Il mit à la voile le 20 mai 1762, et mouilla l’ancre le 23 juillet à l’île de Cayenne. Le 24 sept. 1764 AUBLET prit un moment la direction de l’établissement colonial du môle Saint-Nicolas à Saint Domingue; et au commencement de l’année suivante il revint en France. C’est à Paris qu’il profita des conseils de BERNARD DE JUSSIEU pour mettre en ordre ses collections de plantes et pour rédiger l’important ouvrage, qui a pour titre: Histoire des plantes de la Guiane françoise, Londres et Paris, 1775, 4 vol. in 4°, dont deux de planches. Ces notices biographiques ont été empruntées à la Nouvelle Biographie Universelle, vol. III, Paris, 1852 et à l’introduction précédant son livre et écrite par AUBLET lui-même.

Description: Whilst studying the material of the genus Securidaca for the “Flora of Suriname”, I found it in most cases extremely difficult or even impossible to identify the species. The original descriptions are, as a rule, very short, and they have been based for a good deal on incomplete material: mature fruits, for instance, are often missing. Hence it is not surprising that on quite a number of species the opinions of taxonomists disagree. Accordingly on the one hand we may find in the various collections the most different species lumped together under the same name, while on the other hand one and the same species may appear under several names. A study of the type specimens therefore, was obviously very desirable. I am indebted to the “VAN EEDEN FONDS” for enabling me to visit the Herbarium in Paris, where I could clear up some misunderstandings with regard to the Suriname species. This study includes all the Suriname specimens preserved in the Herbaria of Utrecht, Leiden, Kew, Brussels, Geneva and Berlin, together with the material collected outside Suriname and available in the Utrecht and Paris collections, and the British Guiana plants of the Kew Herbarium. To get an impression of the genus as a whole, several species not occurring in Suriname have been studied, but a thorough investigation was made of the Suriname ones only. The results of this investigation will be given below.

Description: Most classifications of the genera of the Gramineae have been on the structure and arrangement of their spikelets, for these organs provide a far greater variety of readily distinguishing characters than do other parts of the grass plant. Nevertheless it has not always been possible to decide from morphological studies alone whether marked similarities in structure point to a close affinity or are merely examples of parallel development. The modern taxonomist, endeavouring to arrange the grass genera in as natural a sequence as possible in order to emphasise relationships and evolutionary trends, sooner or later meets with difficulties in this respect, for examples of parallelism are of common occurrence in this family. He is more fortunate, however, than his predecessors, in that his own intensive morphological studies, based on a wider range of specimens, may be supplemented by additional data gleaned from the ecological, anatomical and cytological researches of contemporary workers. Thus aided by the more complete information at his disposal, it has been possible for him to rearrange certain groups, particularly the Festuceae and Hordeeae, in which parallel development has occasionally led to unrelated genera such as Lolium, Agropyron and Nardus, being too closely associated. In the following account an attempt has been made to provide a more natural classification for about eighteen species frequently referred to the genus Lepturus R. Br. by reason of their similar spicate inflorescences.

Description: Urelytrum Henrardii Chippindall sp. nov.; ab U. agropyroidei Hack., cui e descriptione affine, culmis gracilibus, foliorum laminis non hirsutis, longe attenuatis, longioribus, racemis flavido-viridibus, spicularum sessilium gluma inferiore 5-nervi, arista breviore distinguendum — Fig. 1. Gramen perenne caespitosum, usque ad 92 cm altum. Culmi erecti, simplices, graciles, pauci-nodes, glabri, racemos versus asperuli. Folia plerumque basalia; vaginae internodiis longiores, sublaxae, striatae, apicem versus carinatae, basales glabrae laevesque, superiores pilis patulis laxe pilosae, ore villoso-barbatae; ligulae scariosae, rotundato-obtusae, 0.8—1.25 mm longae; laminae lineares, apice tenuiter setaceae, planae vel leviter conduplicatae, usque ad 38 cm longae, 3—3.8 mm latae, marginibus scabridis, costis asperulis, pone ligulam pilis longis exceptis glabrae. Racemi ad culmi apicem solitarii, stricti, fragiles, subcylindrici, fere glabri, flavidi vel pallide flavido-virides, saltem 16 cm longi; articuli rhacheos compressi, infimo usque ad 2 cm longo, scaberuli, margine uno superne rigide ciliati, appendice membranacea inaequaliter dentata ciliolata; pedicelli articulis similes, sed appendice minore. Spiculae sessiles biflorae, anguste lanceolato-oblongae, 7.5—8.2 mm longae (callo excluso); callus crassus, rotundato-obtusus, basi barbatus. Glumae subaequales, minute punctatae; inferior spiculam aequans, coriacea, marginibus hyalinis, explanata lanceolata, subconvexa, subacuta, 5-nervis, dorso apicem versus parce spinuloso-ciliata, superne bicarnata, carinis angustissime alatis, alis spinuloso-ciliatis; superior inferiore paulo brevior, firme membranacea, marginibus hyalinis apice minute ciliolata, lanceolata, acuta, 3-nervis, superne carinata, carina anguste alata, ala spinuloso-ciliata. Anthoecium inferum ♂: lemma tenuiter hyalinum, lanceolato-ovatum, 6—6.5 mm longum, 2-nerve, minute bidentatum, marginibus apicem versus minute ciliolatum; palea lemmati similis sed angustior et paulo longior; antherae 3 mm longae; lodiculae glabrae. Anthoecium superum ♀: lemma lemmati anthoecii inferi simile sed 3-nerve, apice latius; palea angustior. Spiculae pedicellatae illis sessilibus absimiles, neutrae, ad glumas lemmaque redactae, sine arista 2—2.75 mm longae. Glumae coriaceae, marginibus hyalinis superne ciliolatae, minute punctatae; inferior spiculae aequilonga, lanceolata, 5-nervis, ad carinam superne angustissime alata, ala spinulosociliata, in aristam scabridam 9—12.5 mm longam excurrente; superior inferiore paulo longior, apice integra, obtusa, superne carinata, carina anguste alata, ala spinuloso-ciliata, obscure 5-nervis. Lemma tenuiter hyalinum, parvum.

Description: According to general opinion the spikelets of Oryza consist, reckoned from their base upwards, of 2 sterile glumes, called hereafter I and II, one fertile glume (valvula inferior; lemma), called hereafter III, and the palea valvula superior) to this glume, called hereafter p3. The spikelets are placed singly on the very short ultimate branchlets, called hereafter pedicels, of a more or less strongly ramose panicle; the tips of the pedicels are broadened into a shallow infra-spicular cup, either distinctly 2-lobed or not; from the bottom of the cup arises a minute knob, on which the very distinct basal callus of the spikelet is jointed. When ripe, the spikelets of the wild species fall off as a whole, disarticulating at the joint (in dried specimens often long before maturity; hence in herbarium-specimens they are frequently lacking). In many cultivated forms they remain firmly attached to their pedicels, a property of very high economic value. The spikelets are strongly laterally compressed. I and II are either 1-nerved or nerveless; as a rule they are many times shorter than the spikelet, sometimes even very minute. Only in O. Ridleyi they are comparatively well-developed, reaching about half the length of the spikelet, but very narrow. III is very rigid, usually conspicuously granulate, boatshaped, keeled, either awned or not, 5-nerved, with a strong midrib; it has the ultimate lateral nerves along the margins. P3 is likewise boatshaped, shortly cuspidate or not, with a narrow, rather rounded, less often faintly keeled back, 3-nerved; it is about as long as III, awn disregarded, and has the same rigid granulate structure, excepted the narrowly incurved thinly membranaceous smooth marginal parts (hidden by III). It might be taken for a fertile glume, but this view is inadmissible because of the averted position of the lodicules. It has a rather thin mid-nerve and strong lateral nerves, separating the rigid central part from the membranaceous borders. The well-developed lodicules are glabrous; the six stamens are free; there are 2 free shortish styles with large plumose white or violet stigmas which, during anthesis, stick out from the sides of the spikelet in or below its middle. The ripe fruit is oblong or lanceolate, usually angular; it is free from glume and palea but remains firmly incarcerated between them.

Description: Dactyloctenium Henrardianum Bor spec. nov. quae ab omnibus aliis speciebus hujus generis inflorescentia racemosa haud digitata satis recedit. An annual grass. Culms slender, 10—30 cm tall, erect, smooth, glabrous, striate in robust specimens, terete, long-exserted from the uppermost leaf-sheath. Leaf-sheaths strongly keeled, loose, slipping from the culm, much shorter than the internode and leaf-blade, markedly striate, smooth and glabrous except for some bristles from bulbous bases sparsely arranged near the margins in the upper fourth; ligule a lacerate membrane not more than 2 mm long. Leaf-blades up to 10 cm long by 5 mm wide at the base, gradually narrowed into a fine point from the rounded base, very scabrid on the margins which also bear long bulbous-based bristles in the lower third; upper surface smooth; lower surface often with bulbous-based bristles; midrib strongly marked with 2—3 prominent parallel veins on either side.

Description: In Madroño (1936) Herre has lamented the disappearance of lichen species through the disastrous interference of man. Unavoidably, the advance of civilised modern life is linked with destruction of the vegetation. This applies all the more as the endangered area is more densely populated and it certainly applies most alarmingly to the lichen flora of the Netherlands. Here, every way-side tree felled is an irreparable loss to the epiphytic lichen communities, every acre of heath burnt or turned into arable land is a blow to our stock of terrestrial lichen species, whereas the use of dry fertilisers and the spraying of orchards are very effective in killing any lichen in the neighbourhood that otherwise might have survived. A comparison of the material preserved in the older collections with what can be found nowadays, clearly shows what has gone lost. It is sad to think that an ever increasing number of species are on their way to total extermination. However, from a thorough investigation of the epiphytic communities of cryptogams latterly started by Mr J. J. Barkman, it becomes apparent that at least to some extent the losses may be compensated by the discovery of species hitherto overlooked or not recognised. It is on such and other finds that I intend to report from time to time.

Description: The name Arundo Bambos L. Sp. Pl. 81, 1753, is interpreted as properly belonging to the common thorny bamboo of India; therefore this species should be called Bambusa Bambos (L.) Voss. Arundo Bambos L. Sp. Pl. ed. 2, 120, 1762, insofar as it is represented by Linnaeus’ specimen labeled “1. Bambos” and by his description of this specimen, is based on a misidentification of a Chinese species: Bambusa flexuosa Munro (1868). Bambos arundinacea Retz. Obs. Bot. 5:24, 1789, is shown to have been based on the plant known today as Bambusa vulgaris Schrad. ex Wendl. (Coll. Pl. 2:26, pl. 47, 1810), and not on the common thorny bamboo of India, properly called Bambusa Bambos (L.) Voss. Bambusa arundinacea Willd. Sp. Pl. 2:245, 1799, is based on Bambos arundinacea Retz., but Willdenow is shown to have confused, in his text, as in his mind, at least two species under this name: 1. The plant which has since come to be known as Bambusa vulgaris Schrad. (of which he had a specimen labeled “B. arundinacea 1.”) and 2. The common thorny bamboo of India (properly called Bambusa Bambos [L.] Voss) of which he had no specimen. Traditional usage for 150 years has overlooked the facts in this case, and has erroneously applied Bambusa arundinacea Willd., and Bambusa arundinacea Retz. (as Bambos) to the common thorny bamboo of India. As a result of the long-continued misapplication of the name Bambos arundinacea Retz. and its variants, it will be exceedingly difficult to reïnvest the name with its original meaning. It may come to pass that consensus of leadership will be to avoid the use of the name Bambos arundinacea Retz and its variants altogether, at least for some time, because of the risk of being misunderstood, and to continue the use of the name Bambusa vulgaris Schrad., which is generally accepted in its proper sense. Those who use Bambusa arundinacea Retz. (as Bambos) or any of the other variants of the name, may be able to avoid being misunderstood by citing Bambusa vulgaris Schrad. as a synonym. Bambusa Schreb. Gen. Pl. 1:236, 1789, and Bambos Retz. Obs. Bot. 5:24, 1789, are synonymous, and are believed to have been based on the same species, namely the plant commonly known today as Bambusa vulgaris Schrad. Strict adherence to Recommendations IV and V of the fifth edition of the International Rules of Botanical Nomenclature, and probably the claims of priority, would indicate the replacement of Bambusa Schreb. by Bambos Retz. The continuation of the use of the generic name Bambusa Schreb., instead of Bambos Retz., has the sanction of tradition, and of contemporary preference; but in order to be fully justified and stabilized, this usage should be regularized and legalized by action of the International Botanical Congress, placing Bambusa Schreb. on the list of Nomina Conservanda. The genus Leleba Rumph. ex Nakai, Jour. Jap. Bot. 9: 9 et seq. 1933, is added to the recognized synonymy of Bambusa Schreb.

Description: On the 13th of October 1940 I found in the vicinity of a wool- and skinwork in Tilburg (The Netherlands, prov. N. Brabant) a sterile grasstuft, striking me by its peculiar habit. I transplanted it into my garden in Dordrecht and there it was flowering for the first time in June 1941, and in July it was collected to be dried. On the 4th of July 1941 I gathered one more fructifying specimen at the same locality in Tilburg. Doubtless the plant was a Deschampsia and my provisory identification was D. media R. et Sch.. Sending the material with this name to Dr P. Jansen in Amsterdam I got his reply: ”Certainly not D. media. It is a species, unknown to me or, more probably, a variety of D. flexuosa“. This conclusion, however, seemed unacceptable to me. The habit of the sterile as well as the fertile plant differs strongly from that of D. flexuosa. The tuft is denser and harder, with thicker and shorter leaves. The panicle is longer, wider and more diffuse, the branchlets less flexuous, the culms are relatively short, as long as the panicle or at most 1½—2 times the length of the panicle (in D. flexuosa 4—5 times). The characteristics of the flower are decisive. The lower glume is 5 mm long, the upper one 6 mm, both of them overtop the lemma and palea of the enclosed flower (in D. flexuosa the glumes are little different in length and equaling or overtopped by the flowers). The stipe of the upper flower, remaining attached to the lower one, when the spikelet falls asunder, is densily pencilshapedly hirsute and 1.5 mm long (in D. flexuosa 0.6—0.8 mm). The upper flower bears a similar stipe of a fully rudimental third flower, in other words: the rachilla is produced behind the upper palea as a hairy bristle. These properties sooner recall D. setacea than D. flexuosa, but the anthers are very small, 0.3—0.5 mm long, on much longer filaments (D. setacea has anthers, 1.5 mm long, filaments 0.5 mm, D. flexuosa: anthers 1.8 mm, filaments very short). All this: the habit, the pale green spikelets without any touch of purple, brown or blue, and the small anthers on long filaments justifies a specific differentiation of the Tilburgian wooladventive. I propose to name it, in honour of Dr J. Th. Henrard, whom I owe so much in the field of adventives in general and of Gramineae in particular: Deschampsia Henrardii nov. spec.

Description: The island of Enggano is the most southern of a series of islands situated parallel to the Western coast of Sumatra. In 1936 the island was visited by Dr. W. J. LüTJEHARMS, who stayed there from the end of May to the beginning of July collecting materials for the Herbaria at Buitenzorg and Leiden. During this excursion he also collected some zoocecidia, which were sent to me for classification by the Director of the Rijksherbarium, Leiden. The collection consists of 16 galls on various plants; many of them were already known as occurring in other parts of the Malay Archipelago; others are new, these are marked with an asterisk. A collection of 16 galls is actually to small to give insight into the wealth of galls of this tropical island; so far, however, nothing was known about the galls of the island, and since it is unlikely that the place will before long again be examined as to its galls, I deemed it worthwile to describe this small collection.

Description: Hallier ²) subdivided the Convolvulaceae into two groups, viz. the Psiloconiae, with smooth pollen grains, and the Echinoconiae with spinose ones. The genera of the Psiloconiae occurring in Malaysia have been dealt with in parts I and II of the present paper, with exception of the genus Erycibe, which shall be treated in a special monograph. The group of Echinoconiae contains two tribes, viz. 1. Ipomoeeae and 2. Argyreieae, both represented in Malaysia. The genus Ipomoea belongs to the Ipomoeeae.

Description: Of this series of preparations to the definite publication of the Burseraceae in “Flora Malesiana”, the present part is giving an additional note on VI. Garuga and dealing with the genera VII. Triomma, VIII. Dacryodes and IX. Santiria (and a new combination in Protium). The present paper gives only additions to and alterations of Lam’s monograph (H. J. Lam, Bull. Jard. Bot. Buitenz., Sér. 3, 12, 1932, 281— 561); descriptions, synonyms, litterature, specimens cited, ecological and other notes are only mentioned insofar as they are not given by Lam.

Description: A study has been made of the Indo-Malaysian species of Cnestis. The mutual length ratio of sepals and petals, — brevi- and aequipetaly —, is the main differentiating character for the species; there are no transitions. The areas of distribution overlap in the Malay Peninsula (fig. 1); brevipetalous types are known from the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo and Celebes, aequipetalous types from Burma, Siam, Indo-China and the Andaman Islands, the Malay Peninsula and the Philippines. Fruits are of two different shapes: beaked in aequipetalae of the Andamans, Burma, Siam, and Indo-China, pear-shaped in remaining aequipetalae and in brevipetalae. Leaves tend to be longer and jugae more numerous in brevipetalae than in aequipetalae. Other characters do not have so clear a separating value, such as texture and indumentum of leaflets, indumentum of inflorescence, texture and indumentum of petals, length of stamens, type and length of pistils, length ratio of stamens and pistils. However, even on the strength of these characters there is some reason to distinguish both groups mentioned above. As to the indumentum of petals there is a remarkable cline in a decreasing sense from the Philippines to continental Asia, the Andamans and the Malay Peninsula and back to the east through the brevipetalae of Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo and Celebes. Brevi- and aequipetalae have been considered to represent two species, viz Cnestis platantha Griff. and Cnestis palala (Lour.) Merrill. The latter one has been divided into two subspecies, viz subsp. palala with beaked fruits and subsp. diffusa (Blanco) Andreas with pear-shaped fruits. For their area of distribution see fig. 1. In many respects some plants of the Andamans, Burma, Siam, Indo-China (and the Malay Peninsula) are different from the remaining aequipetalae, but not in a uniform way as to the various characters. Although there are some arguments for a further taxonomic subdivision, we did not think it advisable to introduce such a division at present. Our classification differs from the division as given by Schellenberg (1938). This was caused by the material on one hand, being more heterogeneous than Schellenberg described it, and, on the other hand, by the fact that some of the diagnostic characters used by him, in our opinion were not fit for use as such. Therefore a revision of Schellenberg’s system of the genus Cnestis seems desirable.

Description: Whilst visiting the Leeward Group, little time could be spared to the collecting of mammals; from Odocoileus and Sylvilagus however, a rather representative series could be obtained. Regarding this, I must offer my grateful thanks and appreciation to the people who so ably and kindly assisted in securing the specimens. I am especially obliged to Mr. van der Linde Schotborgh for presenting me with a living Curaçoan deer and to Mr. de Wit for organizing our three shooting-parties, ending with the aquisition of the type of Odocoileus gymnotis curassavicus. Señorita Fanny Maneyro made me a present of a two days old fawn, on the occasion of a short visit to her uncles estate on the Peninsula de Araya. Little “Chacopato” was bottle-fed in my room in Porlamar, with the devoted assistance of Maximiliana, the hotel-owners step-daughter. This apartment he soon shared with an adult deer from Margarita, which however died a few months later. During this time the hotel-owner, Clémente Sibú, who was very fond of animals, overlooked many annoying things, which another would never have let pass. After my departure to Curaçao, “Chacopato” stayed in “Hotel Central”, where he was later joined by his two prospective wives “Guanta” and “Carúpana”, until our departure for the Netherlands. After being kindly entertained on board of the „Van Rensselaer”, they started family-life in the grounds of my parents country-house near The Hague.

Description: The region which forms the field of these studies lies between Trinidad and the Goajira-peninsula, off the northcoast of South America, comprising of seventeen islands or island-groups with a total area of about 2000 square kilometers. It is a part of the Venezuelan Republic, excepting Curaçao, Aruba and Bonaire, which is Netherlands territory. The total number of inhabitants can be estimated at 164000, chiefly confined to Margarita (70000), Curaçao (61000), Aruba (24000), Bonaire (5500) and Coche (3000). This region was visited in 1936 and 1937 with the main object of studying the land and freshwaterfauna, excluding birds and the greater part of the insects. For comparison some parts of the adjacent continent were also visited.

Description: While engaged on working out the beautiful pycnogonid material dredged by Dr Th. Mortensen in shallow waters near the Virgin Islands, I thought it useful to compare this dredged material with material collected between the tide marks, or just below the low tide line. So I was very glad to meet Dr P. Wagenaar Hummelinck, who has made extensive collections of littoral marine animals during his various trips to the West Indies, and who kindly entrusted me with about 50 lots of pycnogonids which had already been sorted from his material. A definitive paper will be published as soon as his entire marine material has been searched for the presence of sea spiders.

Description: This annotated list of the mammals, lizards and mollusks of the Leeward Group, is based on author’s collection and therefore includes additional mainland-records of the island-species. As a rule a short commentary is given only as a guide to the adopted nomenclature and classification, in case of controversial data which are not yet settled, if important for our knowledge of regional distribution, mentioning vernacular names. Regarding the mammals, all known material-records are included.

Description: A few years ago Prof. Dr W. Martin, at the time director of the Gallery of prints and drawings at Leyden, drew my attention to an oilpainting at Prof. J. N. Bakhuizen van den Brink’s, 40 Rapenburg, Leyden. This painting (size 95 X 68 cm), which is owned by the Leyden University Fund, shows a peculiar group of flowering exotic plants, to which a few mushrooms, a snake, a lizard and some butterflies are added, and on the right side in the back-ground a view on a river or a lake. In the lower right hand corner the painting is signed Lau. Vinn. Prof. Martin concluded from this that it was one of the Haarlem painters Van der Vinne who made it. The most plausible inference seemed to look upon the senior Laurens van der Vinne (1658—1729), a well-known Dutch painter of flowers, as the maker. However, a closer investigation learnt that this was not correct. When Prof. Martin showed me the picture, I got the impression that I had seen a few of the drawings of the individual plants before. Looking through the plate collections of the “Rijksherbarium” it appeared that this impression was right. These collections, namely, contain water-colours of the 4 species of Proteaceae figured in the painting and moreover a water-colour of the specimen of Sprekelia formosissima. All these once belonged to the Leyden professor Adriaan van Royen. The water-colour of Sprekelia formosissima is signed “Laurens van der Vinne Pinxcit 1736”. It is quite probable that this beautiful drawing, together with those of the Proteaceae, were used by Van der Vinne in composing his picture. Besides, it became evident that it was not the senior but the junior Van der Vinne who must be considered the painter, as the former died already in 1729 and the painting must have been made in 1736 or later.

Description: Fate has knocked at your door. It has reminded you that, as to the years of your life, you are no longer a young man, that your age will be sixty five on the day this little volume will be presented to you. Time and fate are inexorable powers. Sometimes the question has occurred to me, whether we have any right to speak of a “Jubilee”, whether one’s retirement from office or the attainment of high age is something to be gratulated upon, since these events are usually not exactly welcome to the person involved. Yet, I think there cannot be any doubt as to this. For, can there be ever more reason for deep satisfaction and gratitude than when a man may without self-reproach, look back upon an honest and successful life?

Description: As my friend Dr J. Th. Henrard, when young, paid much attention to the adventitious species of Fumaria, I will give here an enumeration of the species found in our country. This genus has been somewhat neglected with us, mainly owing to the fact that the descriptions in our flora’s are not exact, so that the determination was not always easy; the less so as the species are variable in several characters. As I have not much space at my disposal, I will refrain from giving detailed descriptions, but the essential characters I will lay down into the key, so that a correct determination is possible. Minute descriptions are to be found in the splendid works of Mr H. W. Pugsley, which have been a great help to me.

Description: Perennis, innovationibus extravaginalibus. Caulis usque ad 80 cm altus, erectus vel nodo infimo radicans et geniculato-adscendens, usque ad apicem paniculae pilosus, pilis albis, usque ad 3 mm longis, e tuberculis emergentibus. Vaginae arcte appressae, internodiis breviores, hispidae, pilis e tuberculis emergentibus, albis, usque ad 4 mm longis, marginibus oris vaginarum stellato-patentibus. Ligula verticilla pilorum consistens. Folia caulina subtus ad basin pilis e tuberculis emergentibus munita, ceterum glabra ut supra; folia infima 2—3 dm longa, complicata vel plana et usque ad 4 mm lata, nervis tenuioribus ac crassioribus alternantibus, folia innovationum omnia angusta, complicata et apicem versus convoluta. Panicula erecta, pyramidalis, per anthesin ac postea patens, usque ad 20 cm longa vel paulo longior; rhachis pilis longis albis patentibus barbatis. Semiverticilla infima e ramis usque ad 8, 6—8 cm longis, composita. Apicem versus numerus et longitudo ramorum sensim decrescunt; hi rami glabri; initium ramificationis secundariae supra partem tertiam infimam; rami secundarii spiculis breviter pedicellatis sparse praediti. Spiculae plumbeo-griseae, lineares, 5—10-florae, quae 7 flores gerunt, 6 mm longae et ½—¾ mm latae. Glumae tenuiter membranaceae; gluma inferior 1 mm longa, acuta; gluma superior 1½ mm longa, obtusiuscula; ambae nervis inconspicius et mox deciduae. Rhachilla glabra, internodiis sublongis, floribus plus minusve remotis. Lemma 1½ mm longa a latere visa linearis, acuta, debilis, margine angusto membranaceo; nervis lateralibus lumine reflecto inconspicuis. Palea elliptica, lemma aequilonga. I found this new species among a series of unicae, bought from K. Dinter and collected by him in 1912 in South-West-Africa (No. 2572, Grassteppe at Okahandja); type specimen in Herb. Lugd.-Bat.

Description: A taxonomic study of the 6 species of Stipa that inhabit desert regions of the Puna de Atacama S. Bomani Haum., S. venusta Phil., S. obtusa [Nees et Mey.] Hitchc., S. rigidiseta [Pilg.] Hitchc., S. saltensis O. Kuntze, and the new species S. Henrardiana) indicates that they constitute a natural group which I designate Obtusae, using as type the species S. obtusa which is the one with priority. The group is characterised by setose leaves, with ligules 3 to 10 mm long, by glumes that are scarious, smooth, depressed and usually unequal, by the fusiform anthoecium with the palea as long as the lemma and by glabrous anthers. These characters reveal a close relationship with Orthachne Nees and Oryzopsis Michx. More detailed studies are necessary to decide the generic relationships. Some of the species studied ( S. Bomani and S. saltensis) contain cyanoglucosides in their vegetative organs and consequently are feared by the inhabitants of the Puna as being toxic to livestock.

Description: 1. (with G. H. H. ZANDVOORT) — Een voor Nederland nieuwe plant, Kentrophyllum lanatum DC. — De Levende Natuur XV, p. 376—380, 4 fig.

Description: En Zélande, province des Pays-Bas, l’on trouve différentes stations où croissent des algues marines. Ce sont: 1. Les digues, 2. Les canaux d’eau de mer, 3. Les parcs à huîtres, 4. Les slikkes et les schorres. La Zélande comprend une bande continentale et deux séries d’îles. Comparé aux autres provinces des Pays-Bas, le climat est assez tempéré. La température moyenne à Flessingue (Vlissingen) est de 3°C en janvier, le mois le plus froid, et de 18°C durant les mois les plus chauds, juillet et août. La température moyenne de l’eau de mer en surface est de 1— 3°C en janvier et de 19°C en juillet et août.

Description: Premna brongersmai, nov. spec. — Frutex? Ramuli teretes conspicue subdistanter lenticellati 0.3—0.5 cm crassi, internodia in specimine 7—11 cm longa. Folia coriacea subrigida, decussatim opposita glaberrima petiolata, ovata vel oblongo-ovata vel subovata vel oblongo-lanceolata, basi plus minusve late rotundata, marginibus integra, apice abrupte vel subabrupte peracute acuminata, latiora 8.5—11 X 4.7—5.7 cm, angustiora (in eodem specimine, ut apparet) 12—14.5 X 4—4.5 cm ; nervi haud prominentes, costa media subtus prominente excepta; nervi secundarii graciles utrimque 5—7, curvati, margines versus diminuti haud confluentes, tertiarii pertenues subdistanter transversi, reticulatione minutissima areolata; petioli e basi incrassata 1— 1.7 cm longi tenues. Inflorescentiae paniculatae terminales, partiales inferiores ex axillis foliorum parvorum, superiores ex axillis bractearum subulatarum 0.3—0.1 cm longarum ortae, totae 12—17 cm longae, 17—29 cm latae, partiales medianae longiores, e pedunculo gracili 10—14 cm longae, pseudodichotomice late divaricatae, ramificationes ultimae dichasiales minute pubescentes. Flores parvi tetrameri subsessiles, alabastris pyriformibus, glabris; calyx glaber cupularis subbilabiatus, c. 0.25 cm altus, labio inferiore acute integro vel leviter acuto-bidentato, superiore 2 lobis majoribus acutis suffulto, calyx intus praecipue dimidio superiore multis glandulis in sicco opacis munitus; corolla in regione staminum insertionis tantum intus pilosa, cetera glabra, 0.4—0.45 cm alta, tubo subcylindrico 0.3—0.35 cm longo, limbo aestivatione cochleata subbilabiato, labio inferiore trilobo (lobo medio in alabastro ceteros tegente, 0.15 cm longo, rotundato, lateralibus 0.1 cm longis, subtruncatis), superiore integro 0.1 cm longo subtruncato, in alabastro omnino tecto; regio pilosa sub labio superiore paulo infirmior; stamina alternipetala in regione pilosa aequa altitudine inserta, subdidynamia, filamentis sub labio superiore paulo brevioribus in alabastro sigmoideo-sinuatis 0.2 cm longis, sub labio inferiore 0.25 cm longis, omnibus vittatis apice abrupte contractis filiformibus; antherae 0.05 X 0.1 cm, subreniformes, thecae poris ovatis dehiscentes; ovarium globosum glabrum 0.15 cm altum 4-loculatum, loculis uniovulatis; ovula longa apotropa medio affixa; stylus filiformis 0.25 cm longus, stigma bilobum, lobis acutis piano mediano patentibus. Fructus ignoti. Shrub? Branchlets (all?) apparently long and drooping, 0.3—0.5 cm in diam.. Leaves decussate, entirely glabrous, ovate to ovate-oblong, base more or less broadly rounded, apex more or less abruptly and very acutely acuminate, margins entire, 8.5—14.5 X 4—5.7 cm, nerves not prominent except midrib below, secondary ones 5—7, curved, reticulation minutely areolate between the almost inconspicuous transverse tertiary ones; petioles 1—1.7 cm long, incrassate at base. Inflorescences widely paniculate, terminal, 12—17 cm long, 17—29 cm broad, the lower partial panicles in the axils of ever smaller leaves, the upper ones in those of subulate bracts; ultimate ramifications dichasial, minutely pubescent. Flowers subsessile, 4-merous, glabrous but for a hair ring inside at the insertion of the filaments. Calyx cupular, more or less bilabiate, 0.25 cm high, lower lip entire or shallowly acutely bidentate, upper one with two larger acute teeth, inside with dispersed dark glands: corolla tube suibcylindrical 0.3—0.35 cm long, aestivation cochleate, slightly 2-lipped, lower lip 3-lobed, midlobe rounded and 0.15 cm long, lateral ones subtruncate and 0.1 cm long; upper lip entire, 0.1 cm long, subtruncate. Stamens 4, subdidynamous, those below upper lip with slightly shorter filaments; filaments ribbon-shaped, 0.2 and 0.25 cm long respectively, subabruptly narrowed below the anther and ending into a very thin apex; anthers kidney-shaped, 0.05 X 0.1 cm, with two ovate pores; ovary globose, glabrous, 0.15 cm high, 4-celled, cells uniovulate, ovules long, apotropous, attached in the middle of the cell; style filiform, 0.25 cm long, stigma with two acute lobes spreading medianly. Fruits unknown.

Description: Casearia amplectens Sleum. sp. nov. — Arbuscula 1.5 m alta; ramulornm apicibus dense breviter flavido-pilosis, partibus vetustioribus cito glabratis corticeque cinerascenti obtectis. Folia elliptico-oblonga vel oblonga, apicem versus breviter (1—2 cm) subcaudato-acuminata, apice ipso paullo falcato obtusa, basi late cuneata fere rotundata, inferiora usque ad 2 mm longe petiolata, superiora subsessilia, membranacea, arcte pellucido-punctata et -lineata, petiolo, costa nervisque subtus brevissime pilosulis exceptis glabra, in sicco brunnescentia, utrinque opaca, regulariter crenato-serrata (dentibus obtusiusculis glandula terminatis 1 mm altis et c. 3—6 mm distantibus), 9—15 cm longa, 4—4.5 cm lata, costa utrinque elevata, nervis lateralibus utroque latere 6—8 curvato-ascendentibus praeter marginem excurrentibus supra subimpressis, subtus elevatis, venis supra obscuris, subtus parum conspicuis. Stipulae reniformes fere amplectentes, membranaceae, 4—6 mm altae, 6—8 mm latae, persistentes. Flores pro axilla. 1—2 fere sessiles, in statu nondum plane evoluto tantum visi; bracteae paucae membranaceae glabrae 1—2 mm longae. Calyx tubulosus, carnosulus, c. 3 mm longus, extus fulvo-sericeus, intus glaber, lobis oblongis c. 1 mm longis. Stamina 10, alte ad faucem inserta; filamenta glabra, medio dilatata, alternatim 0.6 et 0.3 mm longa. Staminodia rudimentaria parum pilosa. Ovarium columnare, glabrum, c. 3 mm longum, 1 mm crassum. Fructus carnosus, ruber, 1.5—2 cm longus, 1 cm diam., trivalvis, basi calycis lobis accrescentibus 4 mm longis et 1.5 mm latis fultus, 2 mm longe pedunculatus. NEW GUINEA. W. New Guinea, 4 km SW of Bernhard Camp, Idenburg Riv., rain-forest undergrowth, 850 m: L. J. Brass 13470 (A; L, typus), fl. fr. March 1939.

Description: A few localities in which collecting has been done in 1930 (cf. Zool. Jb. Syst. 64, 1933) are included without special numbering. A capital-letter after the station-number indicates a different habitat or a comparable habitat in another locality; an ordinary-letter indicates that the same habitat has already been studied before.

Description: Much has been said of the geographical relations and the origin of the West Indian fauna, especially as to that of its vertebrates and mollusks. Mostly the islands off the Venezuelan coast, for the greater part within sight of the South American continent, remained out of question, although obvious differences between the fauna of Curaçao and that of the adjacent mainland were rather quickly noticed and its affinity towards the fauna of the Greater Antilles even emphasized (Bland, 1861; Baker, 1924). Without going into the West Indian fauna as a whole, or the current theories that try to explain its distribution, an attempt is being made to find out what palaeogeographical indication is given by the fauna of the Leeward Group, by careful examination of the distribution of its mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fishes and mollusks, — these being the only groups, perhaps with exception of the birds, which are sufficiently well known to serve as a base for zoogeographical considerations. Biocoenoses were not studied, only the distribution of species and subspecies was taken into account. The biotopes usually being very small and scattered by many isolating factors formed by accidental circumstances, the fauna being very poor and the biology of the species practically unknown, it will be clear that we have to be unpretentious in our aim and very careful in our conclusions.

Description: This survey of the scorpions of the Leeward Group is based on author’s collection and therefore includes some mainlandrecords from northern Venezuela and northeastern Colombia. Material from Curaçao, deposited in the “Zoölogisch Museum, Amsterdam” (A) and the “Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie, Leiden” (L) has been included, and the few island-records which were found in literature mentioned. Important new localities are indicated by an exclamation-mark. A description of the localities may be found in the 1st and the 4th paper of this series.

Description: The X-ray powder method for determining minerals has been applied to the important rock-forming mineral group of the pyroxenes in this thesis. The purpose of the investigation was to seek the relationship between the variations of the intensities and positions of the reflections in the powder diagram and the variations in optical properties and chemical composition. For that purpose a number of pyroxenes from different localities were investigated optically, chemically and röntgenographically. The orthopyroxenes. — The optical examination of the orthopyroxenes indicates, that the variation of the optical properties is related to the chemical composition (see Table 1). A difference between plutonic and volcanic orthopyroxenes lies in the size of the optic axial angle 2 V; this appears to be smaller with volcanic orthopyroxenes between En80 and En15 than with plutonic orthopyroxenes (see fig. 5). Further a lamellar structure can be observed in the plutonic orthopyroxenes (see figs. 2 and 3) while the volcanics do not have these lamellae but often show zoning (see fig. 1). It is seen from chemical investigation of the orthopyroxenes that both the plutonic and volcanic orthopyroxenes show about the same variation in Al- and Ca-atomic proportions (see Table 3). It is quite possible that a part of the Ca content of the plutonic orthopyroxenes is present in exsolved diopside lamellae according to the hypothesis of Hess and Philips (1938). The orthopyroxenes can be distinguished from the clinopyroxenes by X-ray powder diagrams on the ground of their characteristic reflection pattern. These powder diagrams are made by means of a camera with a diameter of 9 centimeters and FeK\u03b11 radiation (\u03bb = 1.93597 Å). All powder diagrams of the orthopyroxenes are classed as one group (Group A, see fig. 6). The variation in the relative distance between the reflections 10 31 and 0 6 0 appears to be connected with the chemical composition. These distances are measured very accurately in millimeters by means of a Cambridge Universal Measuring Machine and plotted against the chemical composition in fig. 8. Through the influence of Al and Ca, the Mg content cannot be determined unequivocally from this diagram. Therefore also X-ray powder photographs are made of a mixture of 70 % orthopyroxene and 30 % quartz (see fig. 9). The relative distance between quartz reflection 2 1 3 1 and pyroxene reflection 0 6 0 in millimeters and the distance between quartz reflection (2 0 2 3) (3 0 3 1) and pyroxene reflection 11 3 1 in millimeters depend on the chemical composition which can be seen in figs. 10 and 11, respectively. In fig. 10 two curves are shown, one for orthopyroxenes with an atomic proportion of Al of about 0.010 and one for those with an atomic proportion of Al of about 0.050 in BVI position. In fig. 11 two curves can be seen which are related to orthopyroxenes with an atomic proportion of Ca of about 0.020 and those with an atomic proportion of Ca of about 0.060. One may determine the chemical composition of an orthopyroxene from these three diagrams (figs. 8, 10 and 11). For that purpose one should measure three relative distances. In each diagram one can find two values for the Mg content. From these, a total of six values, three will lie close to each other; the average of these three values indicates the Mg content. With this Mg content one can determine the Al and Ca contents in the diagrams. This röntgenographic method meets with difficulties when there do not occur certain proportions of Al and Ca in the orthopyroxene. Then there may be present two groups of three Mg's which lie close together (see Table 9). In such cases of doubt one must use the optical method to determine the Mg content. By substitution of Fe for Mg, Nz changes strongly, the unit cell dimensions do not, however, and neither do the relative distances. The Al and Ca contents then may be determined by the röntgenographic method. By substitution of Al and Ca for Mg, the unit cell dimensions change strongly and with them the relative distances between the reflections, which are very sensitive. The variation in the relative distance between the reflections mentioned has been explained by means of a crystal model of enstatite (see figs. 12 and 13). This variation results from the substitution of Fe, Al and Ca for Mg and of Al for Si. The substitution of Fe for Mg increases the unit cell dimensions only slightly so that the shape of the unit cell also changes little. The substitution of Ca for Mg has a great influence on the a- and the c dimension, which both become much greater. The substitution of Al for Mg and of Al for Si strongly decreases the b dimension. These changes in the unit cell occur because all substituting ions have a different ionic radius from Mg and moreover because in the structure of enstatite two kinds of Mg ions occur with altogether different positions and which are linked with the tetrahedra in very different ways. Since the relative distance in millimeters between certain reflections depends on the camera and radiation used, in Tables 7a, 7b and 7c these distances are stated for a few types of camera and radiation. In addition the differences between the lattice spacings of these reflections are given in Ångström units. The clinopyroxenes. — In this thesis the optical investigation on clinopyroxenes consists of a description of the specimens, both macroscopieally and microscopically and a determination of 2 V and Z \u039b c. For a few clinopyroxenes the values of Nz and Nx have also been determined. The described clinopyroxenes are subdivided in a number of groups; this classification is based upon the chemical composition (see p. 224). It turned out that the optical properties of the röntgenographically investigated clinopyroxenes do not differ much from the data mentioned in the literature about this group of minerals (see fig. 20 and Table 10). The chemical investigation is restricted to the analysis of a few clinopyroxenes; the results are stated in Table 11. On the basis of difference in position and intensity of certain reflections in the X-ray powder diagrams a classification in four groups has been established for the clinopyroxenes. Group B 1 (figs. 21 and 23) The group includes, hedenbergite, diopside, augite and diallage. Group B 2 (figs. 21 and 23) Pigeonite belongs to this group. Group B 3 (figs. 21 and 22) This group includes, aegirite and jadeite. Group B 4 (figs. 21 and 22) Spodumene belongs to this group. No sharp limits can be drawn between these groups and transitions may exist between some of these groups, as between groups B 1 and B 2 and also between groups B 1 and B 3. Through lack of clinoenstatite and ferrosilite samples we could not check whether any more groups may be distinguished. Of each of these groups the principal features are discussed on p. 245. Each group has its own characteristic reflection pattern; the similarity between these patterns, however, is great enough to conclude that all the investigated clinopyroxenes have a similar structure. The grouping of the X-ray powder diagrams agrees in the main with the classification of the pyroxenes according to the chemical composition. The chemical composition of the different clinopyroxenes of the groups B 1 and B 2 may be determined by a combined optical and röntgenographic investigation. This combination is necessary because the substitution of Fe for Mg has practically no influence on the dimensions of the unit cell, but it does have on the refractive indices. On the other hand the substitution of Ca for Mg strongly influences the shape of the unit cell. For the different clinopyroxenes of groups B1 and B 2 the variation of the relative distance in millimeters between the reflections 2 2 0 and 2 2 1, the reflections 2 2 1 and 3 1 0 and the reflections 1 3 1 and 2 2 1 is plotted against the chemical composition in figs. 25 and 26. From these diagrams one may determine the chemical composition by measuring the relative distances mentioned, on the X-ray powder diagrams. In figs. 27, 28 and 29 the relation between the chemical composition and the difference between the lattice spacings of the reflections in question in Å can be seen. Further Tables 16a, 16b and 16c indicate the distances between these reflections for a few types of camera and radiation. The X-ray powder diagrams of the alkali pyroxenes can be distinguished from those of the other pyroxenes, while they also show great mutual differences. It may be noted, however, that transitions between these pyroxenes always are possible. The powder diagram of spodumene has its own character, so that this pyroxene can be distinguished very simply from the other pyroxenes by the röntgenographic method. The X-ray investigation on clinopyroxenes is not yet completed, because much can still be done, for instance in the jadeite-diopside-aegirite field.

Description: Among the collections made by H. E. ROMBOUTS from 1935— 1938 on the expeditions to the Suriname-Brazil frontier there are a number of Euphorbiaceae which are either new, or rare. As I was engaged in other work I could not begin the study of these specimens before August of this year. Because of the international troubles I have not been able to secure type-specimens from foreign herbaria, so that in some cases my interpretation of earlier described species may be wrong, though most of the problems could be solved satisfactory with the aid of the material preserved at Leiden and Utrecht. Most of these specimens were collected by ROMBOUTS on the Great Savanna near the sources of the Sipaliwini River, which forms part of the boundary between Brazil and Suriname. Former studies on ROMBOUTS’ collections had shown already that this region is comparatively rich in rare or new species. It would be of the utmost importance if a botanist could visit this region to collect on a large scale and to make a study of the vegetation. Without doubt the results would justify the comparatively low expenses needed for such an expedition.

Description: In the following account the author of the present paper has endeavoured to compile all available information regarding this interesting member of the Gramineae-Zoysieae. As the genus under consideration has in many cases been incorrectly described, it appeared highly desirable to amend the faults and inaccuracies committed by both the original author of the genus and various subsequent taxonomists. The results of these investigations are being put forward in the following pages.

Description: Dr. C. A. BACKER and Dr. O. POSTHUMUS, Varenflora voor Java. Overzicht deiop Java voorkomende varens en varenachtigen, hare verspreiding, oekologie en toepassingen. Uitgave van (Fern flora for Java. Conspectus of the ferns and fern allies occurring in Java, their distribution, ecology and use. Issued by) ’s Lands Plantentuin, Buitenzorg, June 1939. I—XLVII, 1—370, 1 Plate, 1 map and 81 text figures. — ƒ 7.50. The users both at home and abroad of Dr. BACKER’s florae have always regretted that, however carefully these books have been prepared, most of them were imperfect in one way or another. They were either restricted to certain vegetations (weedflorae for tea and sugar-cane) or did not cover all groups of vascular plants; the ”Flora van Batavia“ (1907), the ”Schoolflora voor Java“ (1911) contain only the Dicotyledoneae-Dialypetalae, the ”Handboek voor de flora van Java“ (1928) contains scattered families of the Ferns and Fern Allies, Gymnosperms and many Monocotyledons. This phenomenon is probably due to the fact that BACKER is a most accurate and painstaking worker, who is inclined to refrain from publication unless he is reasonably sure to be correct; and we all know how difficult it is to reach a mental state of this description. However, BACKER has for some years been engaged in preparing with untiring and admirable energy, a new and complete ”Schoolflora voor Java“, the manuscript of which is rapidly growing to maturity. When the Pteridophytes were completed as far as the regions up to 3300’ were concerned, Dr. POSTHUMUS suggested a collaboration in order to make a complete flora of vascular cryptogams. This collaboration of our keenest connoisseur of the Java flora and our best pteridologist resulted in the book, which we have the pleasure to announce and recommend here. Together with the new. ”Schoolflora“ to which we may be looking forward soon, it will form the first reliable flora of the vascular plants of Java. Although the Dutch language is probably less unapproachable than the Russian one, with which Soviet botanists try to convince the world that everybody should know Russian (or that it is not necessary that other peoples should know Russian botany?), it is, I think, to be regretted that our mother tongue has been chosen for a book which many foreign botanists, notably in British Malaya and British Borneo, may desire to use. This is the more so, as the book does not only contain keys to the determination and descriptions of the 15 families, 104 genera and 515 species, but also interesting chapters on the distribution (with map), the ecology, the sociology and the use of the plants described. Also the introductory paragraphs (pp. XIII—XXX) contain many valuable and interesting notes on the morphology; the wording of these chapters is probably not easy for those who are only little familiar with our language, as BACKER has a certain predilection for a literary style.

Description: In this paper two grasses from New Guinea are described as new species. One of these is proposed as the type of a new genus, the other is referred to a hitherto supposed monotypic genus which is suggested as the type of a new tribe. Ancistragrostis S. T. Blake; genus novum, e tribu Agrostidearum, affine Deyeuxiae Beauv., sed glumis atque lemmate induratis, lemmate quam glumis conspicue longiore ejus arista robusta uncinata distinguendum.

Description: During the study of the Xyridaceae of the Malaysian area it was desirable to study those of Australia and Continental Asia as well. The Malaysian species now have, in the meantime, been published (Flora Malesiana, ser. 1, 4, 1953, 366—376). To the new taxa described in Blumea 7, 1953, 307—308 the Latin diagnoses of the following new species and a new section may here be added: 1. Xyris linifolia van Royen, nov. spec. — Fig. 1. Herba mediocris, ad 40 cm alta. Folia subulata, ad 25 cm longa, c. 1 cm diam., subfalcata, acuta, sparse papillata; vaginae 6—8 cm longae, basi 3—6 mm latae; ligula brevis acuta c. 1 mm longa. Scapus 20—40 cm, c. 1 mm diam., teretiusculus, 2- vel pluricostatus, minute papillatus. Capitula ovoidea ad globosa, pauciflora, ad 7 X 6 mm, bracteae basales suborbiculares, 4.5—5.5 X 3.5—4 mm, obtusae, enerves, in parte superiori minute papillatae, papillis arcum triangularem formantibus, medianae obovatae, 6—6.5 X 4.5—5 mm, nervosae, nervis nervo mediano et uno nervo completo in costae utroque latere orto ad bracteae apicem laxe reticulato compositis, in parte mediana superiori minute papillatae, papillis aream suborbicularem formantibus. Flores masculini ignoti, florum femineorum sepala lateralia angusta, 5.5—6.5 X c. 1.5 mm, acutiuscula, emarginata, ecristata, alata, alis sat latis, sepalum medianum cucullatum, 4.5—5 X c. 2 mm, binerve. Petala nondum evoluta limbo orbiculari 4 mm longo et lato munita, margine serrata, unguiculo c. 2 mm. Stamina c. 3 mm, antherae c. 2 mm, apice profunde emarginatae, basi apiceque obtusae thecis emarginatis. Staminodia 2.5—3 mm, penicillata bifida? Ovarium incomplete cognitum, stylus 4.5—5 mm (vel longior?), trifidus, ramificationibus c. 2.5 mm, apice capitatis. Capsula ignota. Typus: Smiles s. n. in K. Distr.: Siam — in open grassland near base of Mt Kau. This species differs from all Malaysian species except X. borneensis in the terete leaves and the three complete nerves of the bracts. Though the leaves of X. borneensis are also terete, the bracts are provided with numerous complete nerves. Moreover, the lateral sepals in X. borneensis are ciliate, those of X. linifolia smooth and entire. In its anthers the present species resembles X. ridleyi, X. pauciflora, X. borneensis, X. capensis, X. complanata etc., the anthers being deeply incised at the top and the thecae emarginate. 2. Xyris nigromucronata van Royen, nov. spec. — Fig. 2. Herba annua parva, ad 6 cm alta. Folia linearia, 1—2.5 cm X c. 1 mm, mucronata, apice nigra et pilis robustis paucis hispida, anguste bi-alata, alis tenuiter et sparse papillatis, in parte basali elliptica in sectione transversa, apice incrassata et triangularia in sectione transversa, vaginae 3— 6 cm longae, apice pilis multis albis munitae, margine membranacea, marginibus pedunculi basin includentibus, pedunculo ligula biloba pilis destituta praedito. Scapus ad 6 cm longus, subangularis, valde obscure alatus, alis 1 vel 2, proxime infra capitulum elatus ubi 3- vel 4-alatus. Capitula oblongo-ellipsoidea, c. 7 X 5 mm, bracteae omnes cristatae, basales ovatae, c. 6.5 X 3 mm, sat brunneo-nigrae, mucronatae, mucrone ad 2.5 mm longa, cristata, nigra, crista pallide flava in parte apicali tantum tenuiter et sparse papillata, medianae subcirculares ad panduriformes, 4—5 X 2—5 mm, margine sat brunneo-nigrae, uninerves, nervo completo laevi, in parte basali membranaceae. Sepala lateralia naviculata, fere ad apicem connata, c. 5 X 1 mm, membranacea ecristata. Petala 6, alba, 6—7 mm longa, unguiculata, ungui 4—5 mm, arcte cohaerentia et quasi tubulosa, limbo elliptico-oblongo, obtuso, c. 2 X 0.8 mm. Stamina 6, c. 1.2 mm, antheris ovoideis, c. 0.6 mm, truncatis, emarginatis thecae basi obtusae; filamenta subulata, c. 0.6 mm. Staminodia desunt. Ovarium subovoideum ad ellipsoideum, c. 2 X 1 mm, trilobum, in parte basali 3-, in parte superiori 1-loculare, stigmatibus 3 terminatum. Capsula ovario similis, sed ad 3 X 1.5 mm metiens; semina sparse papillatae. Typus: Pritzel 635 a in L. Distr.: Australia — in scrub between Moore and Murchinson river. This specimen was found mixed with Stylidium bulbiferum Benth. var. septentrionale Mild braed in Pritzel 635. Therefore it is separated from that species under 635 a. This highly characteristic species differs from all other species of Xyris by the fimbriate top of the sheath, the united lateral sepals (also found in the Brasilian X. obtusiuscula Nilsson), the 6 united petals, the 6 stamens (also once found by the author in X. bancana Miquel), the more or less campylotropous ovules, the entire style, and the papillate curved seeds. Moreover, the flowers seem to be white but owing to the dried material it can not be stated for certain whether this is the proper colour. These details warrant the establishment of a separate section in Xyris, Australoxyris with the following Latin diagnosis: Xyris Linnaeus, sect. Australoxyris van Royen, nov. sect. Folia apice in sectione transversa triangularia, vaginae exteriores apice ciliatae, flores capitati; sepala lateralia maxime connata; petala 6, connata; stamina 6; stylus simplex; ovarium in parte basali 3-loculare, in parte superiori 1-loculare; ovula plus minusve campylotropa; semina papillata. Typus: Xyris nigromucronata van Royen.

Description: The only hitherto known comprehensive studies on the Netherlands Indian Charophyta appeared in 1897 and 1899 in the ”Prodrome de la Flore Algologique des Indes Neerlandaises“, and were compiled by E. DE WILDEMAN. These papers intend to give a mere enumeration of all Charophyta published up to 1896, and therefore mainly contain the species recorded by the famous Charaphytologists ALEX. BRAUN and OTTO NORDSTEDT in 1849, 1882, 1888 and 1889. In the twentieth century only three papers were published on the Charophyta of this area, viz. that by DE WILDEMAN (1900), that by GUTWINSKY (1902), and that by FILARSZKY (1934). The first-named author worked up the specimens occurring in Java, the second one adds two species to this list, whereas the latter studied materials collected in 1928 and 1929 by the German Limnological Sunda Expedition.

Description: Dr. P. Wagenaar Hummelinck entrusted me with the study of 20 adult specimens of a new species of Cyathura which he collected in fresh-water springs of the limestone-region in Curaçao. These localities are described in the 1st and the 4th paper of this series.

Description: This paper contains the results of the study of the fish-collection, made by P. Wagenaar Hummelinck, on the islands of the Leeward Group and some parts of the adjacent South-American continent, in 1936—’37 and in 1930. The latter have already been studied by Miss M. Sanders (1936) and are only included for completeness’ sake. The material has been presented to the Zoological Museum of Amsterdam.

Description: The present paper deals with the results of my investigations on the Tenebrionidae of the Leeward Group and the xerophilous regions of Venezuela and Colombia. I am much indebted to Dr P. Wagenaar Hummelinck for giving me the opportunity to study the material he collected during his trips to this area. Some other specimens used were collected by the present writer himself. Material for comparison has been obtained through the courtesy of several people, particularly the Director of the British Museum (N.H.), Mr H. Kulzer (Frey collection, Munich), and Prof. E. Tortonese (Museum of Zoology, Turin University), to all of whom I am deeply obliged. In particular I also wish to thank Prof. E. Gridelli, Director of the Natural History Museum, Trieste, to whom I am greatly indebted for his constant help and advice in my work, and to Prof. R. Malaroda, of the Institute of Geology, Padua University, for the useful criticism about my geological considerations. Not the last, I would express my gratitude to Dr E. MacC.Callan of the I.C.T.A. (Trinidad, B.W.I.) for the communication of material of that Institute. — The photographs were made by Dr P. Wagenaar Hummelinck, with the expert assistance of Mr H. van Kooten, at the Zoological Laboratory of the State University, Utrecht. The material has been deposited with the Zoological Museum of Amsterdam and the State Museum at Leyde. The material indicated as “Marcuzzi leg.” is included in author’s private collection, excepting some specimens which have been given to the Biological Department of the Caracas University, Venezuela.

Description: In the year 1930 Mr P. WAGENAAR HUMMELINCK, Utrecht, made a trip to the Netherlands West Indian Islands of Curaçao, Bonaire and Aruba with the intention of collecting zoological objects and of gathering data of zoogeographical interest (see lit. 8). In the years 1936—37 he again collected in these islands and, moreover, visited the islands of Margarita and Los Testigos off the coast of Venezuela, the Venezuelan peninsula Paraguaná and the Colombian peninsula La Goajira. To get a better impression of ecological circumstances in pools and puddles of which a zoological inventory was made, he also gathered Algae and floating and submerged Phanerogams occurring in the collecting stations. On the collector’s request the present author made a study of the aquatic Phanerogams, which gave rise to some critical notes. As, moreover, several new localities were discovered and a series of ecological particulars were given by the collector, a complete enumeration of the collected specimens may follow. The specimens were preserved in small collecting bottles in alcohol and in formaline and are now inserted both in the Rijksherbarium at Leiden and in the University Herbarium at Utrecht.

Description: The post-Glacial history of the forests in the Netherlands has been reconstructed fairly well by pollen analysis of several bogs. At the same time stratigraphical investigations shed some light on the way in which these bogs had been built up, i.e. on the plants by which, in the various forest periods, peat was formed. Though these data are quite interesting, they do not give a good impression of the entire synchronal herbaceous flora, as they are limited to the peatbuilding plants. As yet very little is known of the rest of the vegetation (water-, marsh- and land-plants) of the late-Pleistocene and Holocene periods. We must look for their remains in other deposits, particularly in clay and sand, wherein however few land plants will be found, as their chance of preservation is very small. The best strata for an investigation of this kind he, as a rule, beneath the groundwater level, and this is a great handicap for collecting samples. Deep pits have been dug lately by the “Rijkswaterstaat” (Government office for the maintenance of dikes and canals) and as they are kept dry by intensive pumping, they are very useful for our purpose. The construction of a lock near Wijk bij Duurstede, province of Utrecht, gave us an opportunity for studying a profile extending from 4.70 m —NAP (i.e. 4.70 m below Ordnance Datum of Amsterdam) to 3.75 m + NAP (i.e. 3.75 m above O.D.). From this ± 8.5 m high profile, a complete set of samples was taken for pollen analysis, and larger quantities for macroscopical investigation. A special word of thanks is due to the technical staff of the “Rijkswaterstaat” for their kind assistance at the field work. Wijk bij Duurstede is situated in the Rhine delta, where the “Kromme Rijn”, now but a backwater of a formerly important river arm of the Rhine, branches off to the NW (see map, fig. 1). The youngest sediments consist of river clay, deposited in the broad valley of the Rhine, measuring here ± 25 km in width. About 6 km to the NE the Utrecht hill range, a push moraine dating from the Riss glacial epoch, rises up.

Description: All botanists acquainted with the family Rubiaceae will agree that the present subdivision is far from satisfactory and that more than one of its tribes are either artificial or ill-defined or both. The genera dealt with in this paper are said to belong to the Mussaendeae, but the distinction between this tribe and the Hedyotideae as defined by BENTHAM and Hooker f. (Oldenlandieae K. SCh.) rests merely on the succulence or non-succulence of the fruit and must therefore be regarded as both artificial and ill-defined: artificial, because from a morphological point of view the difference between dry and fleshy fruits is certainly not more important than that between the capsular and schizococcous fruits brought together in the first group and not more weighty than that between the various kinds of berries and drupes referred to the second; ill-defined, because the baccate fruits are sometimes dehiscent and the schizococcous ones more or less fleshy. The absence of a sharp line of demarcation separating the dry from the fleshy fruits doubtless explains the fact that the distinction has never been rigorously applied: Mussaenda L., the standard genus of the tribe with fleshy fruits, at present comprises several species provided with capsules, and plants with drupaceous fruits, by BLUME rightly referred to a genus of their own, Metabolos, have been included by BENTHAM and Hooker f. in Hedyotis L. and by K. SCHUMANN in Oldenlandia L. RIDLEY’S genus Pomazota was referred to the Hedyotideae, because the fruit, though soft and succulent, opens at last, but it is, as I will show elsewhere, identical with Coptophyllum KORTH. non GARDN., which on account of its baccate fruit was put in the Mussaendeae. Other examples might be adduced, but these will suffice to show that the distinction is a source of confusion and should be given up as soon as possible.

Description: Peculiarities in leaf anatomy support the opinion that the name Triodia R. Br. should be confined to the Australian species. The leaves of species of Plectrachne Henr. are quite different from those of Triraphis mollis, though formerly included in this genus, but are remarkably similar to those of Triodia.

Description: On October 16th 1946 Dr J. Th. Henrard will have reached the pensionable age of sixty five years. In accordance with the legal prescriptions he is due to take leave officially as keeper of the ”Rijksherbarium“. The present director, Prof. Dr H. J. Lam, invited me to write a short biography of Dr Henrard on this occasion. Having been Henrard’s eldest colleague till 1934 at the institution, I accepted willingly. Jan Theodoor Henrard was born October 16th, 1881 at Maastricht, where his father, J. B. Henrard, was director of the Weight and Measures Office. There is a legend in the family that the Henrards originated from the Vendée (in France) as descendants of a Huguenot-refugee. Owing to this duties J. B. Henrard was often transferred with his family from one locality to the other; his children got their education in different towns of the country. Jan visited the elementary school at Maastricht. The secundary school he followed at Zwolle and Leeuwarden respectively. At Zwolle he made the acquaintance of two well-known Dutch florists, Lako, a teacher at the secundary school and Carmiggelt, an official at his fathers office. From them Jan gathered already an extensive knowledge of the Dutch flora. His final high school certificate he got at Sneek on August 10th, 1901 (Diploma H. B. S.).

Description: Verrucaria maas-geesterani Servít sp. n. (fig. 1). Thallus epilithinus, maculas 1—4 cm latas formans, atrofuscescens, H2O ater, sat tenuis, continuus vel h. i. imperfecte rimulosus, superficie verruculis atris 0.03 mm latis ± tecta et levissime asperata, protothallo indistincto. Stratum corticale usque ad cca 20 μ altum, p.p. pallidum usque ad fuscum, p.p. nigrum, cellulis in partibus pallidioribus ut in strato basali, in partibus atris ad 4 μ in diam. Stratum algarum 40—80 μ altum, prosoplectenchymaticum, cellulis 4—6 μ altis, 3—4 μ latis, algis 6—12 μ altis, 4—6 μ latis, in seriebus sat distinctis verticalibus, incoloratum, maculis obscuris interruptum. Stratum basale fusco-atrum vel carbonaceum, usque ad 60 μ altum, supra cum maculis obscuris strati algarum concrescens.

Description: Exbucklandia R. W. Brown ( Bucklandia R. Br. non Pr. ex Sternb., Symingtonia Steen.) In an article on “Alterations in some fossil and living floras” (J. Wash. Ac. Sc. 36: 348. Oct. 1946) R. W. Brown proposed the new generic name Exbucklandia for the Hamamelidaceous genus Bucklandia R. Br., non Pr. ex Sternb., while describing a new fossil species from the United States. He also transferred B. populnea to the new genus. Unfortunately I had overlooked this publication when proposing Symingtonia to replace Bucklandia R. Br. (Acta Bot. Neerl. 1: 443—444. 1952). Exbucklandia will have to be accepted for it in future. The Indo-Chinese species B. tonkinensis Lecomte should be referred to as Exbucklandia tonkinensis (Lecomte) Steen. comb. nov. I have to thank Dr E. H. Walker for pointing my attention to R. W. Brown’s paper.

Description: This charming and handy book printed on excellent paper, with its numerous clear pictures of well-known Malayan plants, reminds one in many ways of Merrill’s “Plant Life of the Pacific World” (MacMillan 1946, New York), which has perhaps served Prof. Holttum as an example. Its size being only slightly smaller than Merrill’s book and the area covered being very considerably smaller, its descriptions of plants are naturally more detailed; the more so as only a choice has been made, in which the special interests of the author — ferns, orchids, gingers — are evident though not predominant. The plants described are not regionally arranged. The 17 chapters are rather headed by names of life-forms, striking organs, and special habitats. As is pointed out in the Preface, the book is “intended primarily for the Malayan resident who wishes to begin a study of Malayan plants”. In this purpose the book will doubtless prove to be a success: the reader is gradually taught quite a bit of botany of various fields, morphology, anatomy, ecology, hybridisation, etc. These are demonstrated at plants which are within easy reach of the ordinary layman for which it is destined. Short opening and concluding chapters deal with general features of tropical plants and with the Malayan forest. Since the author is a well-known expert and the Malayan flora as here described is a very good example of any flora between, say, Calcutta and Fiji, it may well be useful to residents of many other countries as well.

Description: The Netherlands Antilles may be divided into: (1) The Curaçao Group (or Netherlands Leeward Islands): Curaçao, Aruba and Bonaire. (2) The St. Martin Group (or Netherlands Windward Islands): (Netherlands) St. Maarten, Saba and St. Eustatius. The latter islands are very small, forming together only 8.1 per cent of the total area of the Netherlands Antilles, and 2.2 per cent of its population. The Curaçao Group often has a desert-like aspect with a “tropical dry-forest” vegetation. Therefore on these islands the mosquito pest is nothing like so bad as it usually is in the tropics. There are few permanent breeding places, except man-made receptacles in and around the houses to store rainwater or well-water in as the Government waterworks do not always produce sufficient and adequate water. The St. Martin Group has a higher rainfall and a more abundant vegetation. In the preceding pages the morphological characteristics which are of taxonomic value have been described. Keys to the mosquitoes, their classification, their geographical distribution and their biology observed in the Netherlands Antilles have been given. Mosquitoes may be spread by automobiles, ships and airplanes on the islands. Fortunately, all airplanes from foreign airports and St. Maarten are sprayed on Curaçao and Aruba. Except this measure little was done before 1951 to control mosquitoes, except in the areas occupied by the oil companies. An anti-Aëdes aegypti campaign was initiated on Curaçao in October 1951 and on Aruba in March 1952 (residual DDT house spraying and larviciding). Because of the paucity of mosquito records of the Netherlands Antilles a rather thorough survey was made on Curaçao from 1941- 1947, while the other islands were visited only for a short time. At the moment 20 species are known from the Netherlands Antilles. Anopheles pseudopunctipennis pseudopunctipennis was found on Curaçao and rarely on Aruba, and An.albimanus once on St. Maarten, but never an indigenous case of malaria has been reported from the Netherlands Antilles. The larvae of An. pseudopunctipennis were found in earth-lined breeding places, but also frequently in manmade receptacles. Nearly all these breeding places contained clear, fresh or slightly brackish water with green algae; the majority were sunlit. Though the females of An.pseudopunctipennis attacked man, they were more attracted to animals. Culex quinquefasciatus was a common domestic pest mosquito on all of the islands. Though it often bred in earth-lined breeding places, it was found more frequently in man-made receptacles. The water was fresh or slightly brackish and usually polluted. Wuchereriasis bancrofti prevailed at a low rate on the Curaçao Group (4.2%, of which at least 2.7% was indigenous) and at a higher rate on the St. Martin Group (10.3% of which at least 5.1% was autochthonous). Elephantiasis was very rare. Aëdes aegypti was the most common domestic pest mosquito on both groups of islands. It was usually caught in clear, fresh water in man-made receptacles in or around human dwellings. The females bit in the daytime and at night. Several epidemics of yellow fever occurred in the previous century; the last one was on Curaçao in 1901. The last sporadic case occurred on Curaçao in 1914. Dengue was very common in newcomers from non-endemic areas. Haemagogus anastasionis was collected on Curaçao and rarely on Aruba. The larvae were mainly found in tree holes after occasional rains. All the breeding places contained dark brown rainwater with a layer of humus. The bite of the female is painful. Fortunately it has not been incriminated as a vector of jungle yellow fever. Besides, there are no wild monkeys on the Netherlands Antilles. Wyeomyia celaenocephala was found in various species of bromeliads on the Christoffelberg on Curaçao. The females will bite fiercely in the jungle. Uranotaenia lowii was collected from a pond on Bonaire. Aëdes taeniorhynchus was mainly caught in stagnant, sunlit beach pools with clear, dark brown, brackish water on Curaçao, and once in a well on Saba. The females are severe biters. Aëdes busckii was found in a tree hole on St. Eustatius. Psorophora cyanescens was reported from Aruba only once. Psorophora confinnis bred in rock holes and other earth-lined breeding places, and rarely in man-made receptacles on the Curaçao Group. The majority of the breeding places were temporary and sunlit, and contained clear or turbid rainwater. The females are fierce biters. They entered houses. Psorophora pygmaea was collected from a ditch on St. Maarten. Deinocerites cancer was mainly found in crab holes on both groups of islands. The water of the breeding places was turbid and brackish. Adults lived in the crab holes. Females did not bite the author. Culex erraticus was caught in clear fresh water near the airport on Curaçao. Culex americanus was found in various bromeliads on the St. Martin Group. Culex bahamensis was collected from fresh or brackish water on the St. Martin Group. Culex habilitator adults and larvae were found in crab holes on St. Maarten. Culex maracayensis was caught in earth-lined breeding places and sometimes in concrete tanks and troughs on Curaçao. The water was usually clear, shaded and fresh or slightly brackish. Culex nigripalpus was collected near the airport on Curaçao from a temporary ground pool with rainwater. Megarhinus guadeloupensis was found once in a bromeliad on Saba.

Description: Dr. P. Wagenaar Hummelinck entrusted me with the study of the snakes, which he collected during his trips to the islands off the north coast of Venezuela, to the Venezuelan mainland, and to eastern Colombia. In the present paper the species collected by Dr. Hummelinck are listed with data on scale counts, coloration and with notes on nomenclature. In a few cases specimens from other collections were used for comparison, and for these the provenance is indicated in the lists of specimens. Dr. Hummelinck made notes on the names given to the different species of snakes by the inhabitants, and by his kind permission these notes are included in the present paper. These local names form an addition to those published by Roca (1932, pp. 387—388). Unless otherwise stated the specimens are in the collections of the Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie, Leiden. The numbers cited for the different specimens, Oph. 1—60, are the numbers used by the collector; they are mentioned in parentheses, the first of each list of specimens with the indication Oph., the following without this indication.

Description: Although the islands of Curaçao, Aruba and Bonaire have received the attention of many naturalists, from the beginning of the West-Indian trade until to-day, it was not before 1924 that a suitable publication on the “Land and Freshwater Molluscs of the Dutch Leeward Islands” was written by Horace Burrington Baker. I should like to express my appreciation of this work, which not only facilitated my studies, but, at the same time, forced me to collect the landshells of these islands in a most intensive and systematical way, — because I should not have been competent to critisize his results, if I had not had a material of at least the same value at my disposal. As Baker very precisely localized his stations, I could collect a large series of topotypes of nearly all his new species and subspecies. This, in addition to his reproductions of the holotypes and paratypes, and the comparison of some of his paratypes in the Zoological Museum of Amsterdam, made a study of Baker’s collection rather unnecessary.

Description: The border region between Coahuila and Zacatecas is part of the mountainous country south of Parras in northeastern Mexico. It includes a thickness of about 2,600 meters of Jurassic and Cretaceous rocks that were deposited along the northern border of the Mexican geosyncline along the southern margin of the Coahuila Peninsula massif. During early Tertiary time these sediments were compressed into folds parallel to the borders of the massif. The majority of the anticlines in the area mapped is overturned to the north. After the compressive stage a tensional stage developed and a system of tensional faults was formed. Block faulting found place on a large scale. A suggestion by de Sitter that some longitudinal faults may be comparable to schistosity planes in microfolds is tested in the horizontal outcrop pattern of this area, and no indications are found which could contradict this hypothesis. It is suggested that this horizontal outcrop pattern should also vary with the relative competency of the rock formation. The stratigraphic column is divided into formations. The Jurassic includes the Zuloaga limestone of Oxfordian age and the equivalent La Caja and La Casita formations of Kimmeridgian-Portlandian age. The Cretaceous from the base upward includes the Taraises formation of Lower Neocomian age, the Cupido limestone of upper Neocomian-lower Aptian age, the La Peña formation of upper Aptian-lower Albian age, the Aurora limestone of middle Albian age, the Indidura formation of upper Cenomanian-Turonian age, the Caracol formation of Coniacian age, and the Parras shale of Santonian age. The La Caja formation contains a variable amount of phosphorites, the genesis of which is discussed. The conclusion is reached that there are indications that this deposit had a biochemical mode of origin rather than a purely chemical one as advocated by Kazakov.

Description: Of this series of preparations to the definite publication of the Burseraceae in \xe2\x80\x9cFlora Malesiana\xe2\x80\x9d, the present part is giving an additional note on VI. Garuga and dealing with the genera VII. Triomma, VIII. Dacryodes and IX. Santiria (and a new combination in Protium).\nThe present paper gives only additions to and alterations of Lam\xe2\x80\x99s monograph (H. J. Lam, Bull. Jard. Bot. Buitenz., S\xc3\xa9r. 3, 12, 1932, 281\xe2\x80\x94 561); descriptions, synonyms, litterature, specimens cited, ecological and other notes are only mentioned insofar as they are not given by Lam.

Description: Exbucklandia R. W. Brown ( Bucklandia R. Br. non Pr. ex Sternb., Symingtonia Steen.) In an article on \xe2\x80\x9cAlterations in some fossil and living floras\xe2\x80\x9d (J. Wash. Ac. Sc. 36: 348. Oct. 1946) R. W. Brown proposed the new generic name Exbucklandia for the Hamamelidaceous genus Bucklandia R. Br., non Pr. ex Sternb., while describing a new fossil species from the United States. He also transferred B. populnea to the new genus. Unfortunately I had overlooked this publication when proposing Symingtonia to replace Bucklandia R. Br. (Acta Bot. Neerl. 1: 443\xe2\x80\x94444. 1952). Exbucklandia will have to be accepted for it in future. The Indo-Chinese species B. tonkinensis Lecomte should be referred to as Exbucklandia tonkinensis (Lecomte) Steen. comb. nov. I have to thank Dr E. H. Walker for pointing my attention to R. W. Brown\xe2\x80\x99s paper.

Description: Premna brongersmai, nov. spec. \xe2\x80\x94 Frutex? Ramuli teretes conspicue subdistanter lenticellati 0.3\xe2\x80\x940.5 cm crassi, internodia in specimine 7\xe2\x80\x9411 cm longa. Folia coriacea subrigida, decussatim opposita glaberrima petiolata, ovata vel oblongo-ovata vel subovata vel oblongo-lanceolata, basi plus minusve late rotundata, marginibus integra, apice abrupte vel subabrupte peracute acuminata, latiora 8.5\xe2\x80\x9411 X 4.7\xe2\x80\x945.7 cm, angustiora (in eodem specimine, ut apparet) 12\xe2\x80\x9414.5 X 4\xe2\x80\x944.5 cm ; nervi haud prominentes, costa media subtus prominente excepta; nervi secundarii graciles utrimque 5\xe2\x80\x947, curvati, margines versus diminuti haud confluentes, tertiarii pertenues subdistanter transversi, reticulatione minutissima areolata; petioli e basi incrassata 1\xe2\x80\x94 1.7 cm longi tenues. Inflorescentiae paniculatae terminales, partiales inferiores ex axillis foliorum parvorum, superiores ex axillis bractearum subulatarum 0.3\xe2\x80\x940.1 cm longarum ortae, totae 12\xe2\x80\x9417 cm longae, 17\xe2\x80\x9429 cm latae, partiales medianae longiores, e pedunculo gracili 10\xe2\x80\x9414 cm longae, pseudodichotomice late divaricatae, ramificationes ultimae dichasiales minute pubescentes. Flores parvi tetrameri subsessiles, alabastris pyriformibus, glabris; calyx glaber cupularis subbilabiatus, c. 0.25 cm altus, labio inferiore acute integro vel leviter acuto-bidentato, superiore 2 lobis majoribus acutis suffulto, calyx intus praecipue dimidio superiore multis glandulis in sicco opacis munitus; corolla in regione staminum insertionis tantum intus pilosa, cetera glabra, 0.4\xe2\x80\x940.45 cm alta, tubo subcylindrico 0.3\xe2\x80\x940.35 cm longo, limbo aestivatione cochleata subbilabiato, labio inferiore trilobo (lobo medio in alabastro ceteros tegente, 0.15 cm longo, rotundato, lateralibus 0.1 cm longis, subtruncatis), superiore integro 0.1 cm longo subtruncato, in alabastro omnino tecto; regio pilosa sub labio superiore paulo infirmior; stamina alternipetala in regione pilosa aequa altitudine inserta, subdidynamia, filamentis sub labio superiore paulo brevioribus in alabastro sigmoideo-sinuatis 0.2 cm longis, sub labio inferiore 0.25 cm longis, omnibus vittatis apice abrupte contractis filiformibus; antherae 0.05 X 0.1 cm, subreniformes, thecae poris ovatis dehiscentes; ovarium globosum glabrum 0.15 cm altum 4-loculatum, loculis uniovulatis; ovula longa apotropa medio affixa; stylus filiformis 0.25 cm longus, stigma bilobum, lobis acutis piano mediano patentibus. Fructus ignoti.\nShrub? Branchlets (all?) apparently long and drooping, 0.3\xe2\x80\x940.5 cm in diam.. Leaves decussate, entirely glabrous, ovate to ovate-oblong, base more or less broadly rounded, apex more or less abruptly and very acutely acuminate, margins entire, 8.5\xe2\x80\x9414.5 X 4\xe2\x80\x945.7 cm, nerves not prominent except midrib below, secondary ones 5\xe2\x80\x947, curved, reticulation minutely areolate between the almost inconspicuous transverse tertiary ones; petioles 1\xe2\x80\x941.7 cm long, incrassate at base. Inflorescences widely paniculate, terminal, 12\xe2\x80\x9417 cm long, 17\xe2\x80\x9429 cm broad, the lower partial panicles in the axils of ever smaller leaves, the upper ones in those of subulate bracts; ultimate ramifications dichasial, minutely pubescent. Flowers subsessile, 4-merous, glabrous but for a hair ring inside at the insertion of the filaments. Calyx cupular, more or less bilabiate, 0.25 cm high, lower lip entire or shallowly acutely bidentate, upper one with two larger acute teeth, inside with dispersed dark glands: corolla tube suibcylindrical 0.3\xe2\x80\x940.35 cm long, aestivation cochleate, slightly 2-lipped, lower lip 3-lobed, midlobe rounded and 0.15 cm long, lateral ones subtruncate and 0.1 cm long; upper lip entire, 0.1 cm long, subtruncate. Stamens 4, subdidynamous, those below upper lip with slightly shorter filaments; filaments ribbon-shaped, 0.2 and 0.25 cm long respectively, subabruptly narrowed below the anther and ending into a very thin apex; anthers kidney-shaped, 0.05 X 0.1 cm, with two ovate pores; ovary globose, glabrous, 0.15 cm high, 4-celled, cells uniovulate, ovules long, apotropous, attached in the middle of the cell; style filiform, 0.25 cm long, stigma with two acute lobes spreading medianly. Fruits unknown.

Description: The only hitherto known comprehensive studies on the Netherlands Indian Charophyta appeared in 1897 and 1899 in the \xe2\x80\x9dProdrome de la Flore Algologique des Indes Neerlandaises\xe2\x80\x9c, and were compiled by E. DE WILDEMAN. These papers intend to give a mere enumeration of all Charophyta published up to 1896, and therefore mainly contain the species recorded by the famous Charaphytologists ALEX. BRAUN and OTTO NORDSTEDT in 1849, 1882, 1888 and 1889.\nIn the twentieth century only three papers were published on the Charophyta of this area, viz. that by DE WILDEMAN (1900), that by GUTWINSKY (1902), and that by FILARSZKY (1934). The first-named author worked up the specimens occurring in Java, the second one adds two species to this list, whereas the latter studied materials collected in 1928 and 1929 by the German Limnological Sunda Expedition.

Description: All botanists acquainted with the family Rubiaceae will agree that the present subdivision is far from satisfactory and that more than one of its tribes are either artificial or ill-defined or both. The genera dealt with in this paper are said to belong to the Mussaendeae, but the distinction between this tribe and the Hedyotideae as defined by BENTHAM and Hooker f. (Oldenlandieae K. SCh.) rests merely on the succulence or non-succulence of the fruit and must therefore be regarded as both artificial and ill-defined: artificial, because from a morphological point of view the difference between dry and fleshy fruits is certainly not more important than that between the capsular and schizococcous fruits brought together in the first group and not more weighty than that between the various kinds of berries and drupes referred to the second; ill-defined, because the baccate fruits are sometimes dehiscent and the schizococcous ones more or less fleshy.\nThe absence of a sharp line of demarcation separating the dry from the fleshy fruits doubtless explains the fact that the distinction has never been rigorously applied: Mussaenda L., the standard genus of the tribe with fleshy fruits, at present comprises several species provided with capsules, and plants with drupaceous fruits, by BLUME rightly referred to a genus of their own, Metabolos, have been included by BENTHAM and Hooker f. in Hedyotis L. and by K. SCHUMANN in Oldenlandia L. RIDLEY\xe2\x80\x99S genus Pomazota was referred to the Hedyotideae, because the fruit, though soft and succulent, opens at last, but it is, as I will show elsewhere, identical with Coptophyllum KORTH. non GARDN., which on account of its baccate fruit was put in the Mussaendeae. Other examples might be adduced, but these will suffice to show that the distinction is a source of confusion and should be given up as soon as possible.

Description: En Z\xc3\xa9lande, province des Pays-Bas, l\xe2\x80\x99on trouve diff\xc3\xa9rentes stations o\xc3\xb9 croissent des algues marines. Ce sont: 1. Les digues, 2. Les canaux d\xe2\x80\x99eau de mer, 3. Les parcs \xc3\xa0 hu\xc3\xaetres, 4. Les slikkes et les schorres.\nLa Z\xc3\xa9lande comprend une bande continentale et deux s\xc3\xa9ries d\xe2\x80\x99\xc3\xaeles. Compar\xc3\xa9 aux autres provinces des Pays-Bas, le climat est assez temp\xc3\xa9r\xc3\xa9. La temp\xc3\xa9rature moyenne \xc3\xa0 Flessingue (Vlissingen) est de 3\xc2\xb0C en janvier, le mois le plus froid, et de 18\xc2\xb0C durant les mois les plus chauds, juillet et ao\xc3\xbbt. La temp\xc3\xa9rature moyenne de l\xe2\x80\x99eau de mer en surface est de 1\xe2\x80\x94 3\xc2\xb0C en janvier et de 19\xc2\xb0C en juillet et ao\xc3\xbbt.