Description: Up till now the lower deposits of peat (in Dutch: veen-op-groterediepte = peat at greater depth) have been investigated in the Netherlands mainly in the Western part of the country, viz. in the provinces of Noord-Holland, Zuid-Holland and Zeeland. The analyses have shown that the development of this, now comparatively well known peat layer must have begun either in the second half of the boreal period or else in the beginning of the atlantic one, and that it must have come to an end in the first half of the latter. Among the earlier investigators the botanist Mrs VERNEER-LOUMAN and some geologists had arrived at the conclusion that the sudden transgression of the North sea which made an end to the formation of peat, took place in the boreal period, and hat the whole lower deposit of peat, therefore, was of boreal age (lit. 7). This opinion, however, was sufficiently disproved by FLORSCH\xc3\x9cTZ, and all subsequent analyses have confirmed the view that the peat formation must have stopped early in the atlantic period (lit. 2, 3, 4). The same conclusion was arrived at by GODWIN as a result of his investigations of the lower peat found in SE England (lit. 5, 6) and by several German investigators as a result of their analyses of the lower peat, found in NW Germany.\nOnly one analyses of the lower peat in the province of Friesland, in the Northern part of the Netherlands, has sofar been published. The geologist VAN ANDEL found near Kiesterzijl, at a depth of only 3.50 m a thin layer of peat. He identified it with the lower peat from the W part of the Netherlands which occurs several meters deeper. His two diagrams show a boreal age for the basal layers and an atlantic age for the top ones and they confirm therefore the conclusions,obtained in the W part of the country (lit. 1).

Description: In this article, the second of a series of four, a number of swamp communities occurring along former river beds in the forelands of the great rivers in the Netherlands are dealt with according to the new classification of reed swamp and marsh communities (order Phragmitetalia, class Phragmitetea) in WESTHOFF & DEN HELD (1969). For more background information the reader is referred to VAN DONSELAAR (1961, 1971).\nThe association Typhetum angustifoliae (alliance Phragmition) can be recognized in the river forelands. There its composition is identical with that in stagnant fresh waters. However, a comparison with the communities of the backswamps in the fresh water tidal area (ZONNEVELD, 1960) makes it questionable whether the new classification can be applied there. The same question arises with regard to the Typhetum latifoliae (alliance Phragmition), an association of which our material is too scanty to permit extensive comparisons.\nTwo associations of the alliance Oenanthion are treated. The Rorippo-Oenanthetum is a characteristic community of former beds which are relatively strongly influenced by the current during the annual high water, so that formation of a peaty or even humic soil is prevented. It appears that there are no descriptions from other habitats in the Netherlands. A form of the Sparganio-Sagittarietum (without Sparganium emersum), present in a few former beds, is only briefly mentioned.

Description: Lianes, defined as woody climbers and (facultatively) straggling shrubs, were collected in an area of about 1900 square kilometres of the Brokopondo District, in the interior of Surinam. Ten different habitats were distinguished only one of which was intensively sampled, viz. the so-called \xe2\x80\x9chigh forest\xe2\x80\x9d, the most luxuriant climax vegetation type in the area.\nA total of 132 species were distinguished, 80 of which could be determined with certainty and 15 nearly so. Among the identified species one was new (described since as Dicranostyles guianensis A. Mennega, Conv.), and 5 were new records for Surinam, viz. Sparattanthelium aruakorum Tutin (Hern.), Abuta obovata Diels, Abula splendida Kruk. et Mold., and Sciadotenia sagotiana (Eichl.) Diels (all Menisp.), and Mimosa micracantha Benth. (Mim.).\nThe distribution of the species over the 10 habitat types is shown, and the ecology of some of them is discussed more in detail.

Description: At present 38 species of Rhynchospora, now including also Dichromena, are known from Suriname, two of which with two varieties. Two new species are described here: Rh. guianensis and Rh. sublanata. A key to the Suriname species is presented.\nFor every taxon the distribution and, where known, a brief characteristic of its ecology in Suriname are given.

Description: The present article is the first of a series in which a new classification of the reed swamp and marsh communities (order Phragmitetalia, class Phragmitetea) in the Netherlands (in WESTHOFF & DEN HELD, 1969) will be tested. The material used consists of the sample-plot analyses recorded by the Foundation for Biocenological Research (SOL) in the years 1954-1956 along former river beds in the forelands of the great rivers. Therefore, the test implies a partial re-evaluation of the results of that study as presented by VAN DONSELAAR (1961). The first community treated, the association Scirpetum lacustris (alliance Phragmition), most of which was formerly included in the Scirpo-Phragmitetum, appears to be easily recognizable. In the river forelands it has about the same composition as along stagnant waters. However, a comparison with the reed marsh communities of the fresh water tidal area (ZONNEVELD, 1960) is difficult and does not meet with success. An all-over reclassification of all reed swamp and marsh communities, taking the tidal area more completely into account, is necessary, but lies beyond the scope of the present paper.