Review

Another impressing volume of the Flora of Australia, dealing with the ferns, Gymnosperms and allied groups. Chapters on morphology, a glossary of botanical terms used, and a list of abbreviations and contractions make this work accessible also for non specialists. Moreover, the many illustrations, colour photographs as well as line drawings, provide a good help with identification (figure 151 is a colour photo that probably depicts two species of Pyrrosia). For the Gymnosperms an introduction is given of the evolution of the system of seed plants, and cladograms are given of the Cycadophyta, of Cycas, and of Cycas subsect. Endemicae. In such a large work mistakes are inevitable. In the key to the families of ferns in lead 27 opposite characters are: Stipe articulated to a phyllopodium and Stipe not articulated to a leaf-like outgrowth of the rhizome. Not only that the same terms should be used, but a leaf-like outgrowth of the rhizome is a rather strange interpretation of a phyllopodium. In other places in the key this is also used. The last sentence under Crypsinus simpliccimus (p. 473) reads: “A very widespread fern and quite variable in form.” This for a fern of very restricted occurrence (on the map only one dot to be seen). Possibly this sentence belongs under the genus.