Das Pflanzenreich

Abstract

AN account of the inception of this work was given in NATURE, October 30, 1902 (p. 657), with a list of the earliest parts. Twenty-one volumes have now been published, of which ten are devoted to monocotyledonous orders. The late Dr. K. Schumann has contributed, in addition to the Musaceas, two memoirs on the Marantaceas and the Zingiberaceæ respectively. In both these orders there is a large increase in numbers and a considerable amount of change as compared with the account given by Pedersen in the “Pflanxenfamilien.” This is explained by the fact that an enormous number of new species have been made out of copious material received from Indo-Malaya and tropical Africa. The new species of Zingiberaceae described for Malaya alone exceed a hundred. Dr. Schumann formulates very definite arguments in favour of the changes which he proposes in reviewing the history of the orders, and also presents a comprehensive discussion on the flower and on the relationships of the four orders which compose the series Scitamineae.

Das Pflanzenreich.

Regni vegetabilis conspectus. Edited by Prof. A. Engler. (Leipzig: W. Engelmann; London: Williams and Norgate.)