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TORREYA

A MonTuty JourNAL or Boranicat Notes anp News

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THE TORREY BOTANICAL CLUB

BY

MARSHALL AVERY EOMWE

Volume I.

NEW YORK

IQOl

Welle, TOIRISE A lexQJP Suniel, TCI:

OFFICERS FOR 101

President, HON. ADDISON BROWN.

Vice- Presidents,

T. F. ALLEN, M.D. HENRY H. RUSBY, M.D. Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, EDWARD S. BURGESS, PH.D. JOHN K. SMALL, PH.D. Normal College, New York City. Botanical Garden, Bronx Park, New York City. Laitor, Treasurer, L. M. UNDERWOOD, PH.D. H. B. FERGUSON, PHAR.D. Columbia University. College of Pharmacy, 115 West 68th St., New York City.

Associate Editors.

NATHANIEL L. BRITTON, Pu.D. FRANCIS E. LLOYD, A.M. CARLTON C. CURTIS, Pu.D. DANIEL T. MACDOUGAL, Pu.D. MARSHALL A. HOWE, Pu.D. HERBERT M. RICHARDS, S.D.

ANNA MURRAY VAIL.

Meetings the second Tuesday and last Wednesday of each month alternately at the

College of Pharmacy and the New York Botanical Garden.

PUBLICATIONS. Bulletin. Monthly, established 1870. Price $3.00 per year. Of former volumes, only 1-6 and 19-27 can be supplied entire, but the com- pletion of sets will be undertaken. All correspondence relating to the Bulletin and Memoirs should be addressed to Professor L. M. Underwood, Columbia University,

New York City.

Memoirs. A series of technical papers published at irregular intervals, estab- lished 1889. Price $3.00 per volume.

Torreya. Monthly, established 1901. Price $1.00 per year. Address the Editor of Torreya, New York Botanical Garden, Bronx Park, New York City.

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2 NEW YORK BOTANICAL

Carney

TORREYA

January, 19c1

Vol. 1

INOWMSS, ON IRGIDIBICINUA TELUR ITE. IL,

By N. L. BriTron

In Pittonia, 4: 174-180, recently published, Mr. Thomas V. Moore, a student of the Catholic University at Washington, work- ing under the direction of Professor Greene, presents a valuable contribution to the arrangement and description of some of the species of Rudbeckia of the jirta group. In discussing RX. herta he takes exception, apparently with good reason, to the statement in Illustrated Flora, 3: 416, that this plant is native only on the western prairies, and is widely distributed in the East as a weed.

There can be no doubt, however, that the latter portion of this statement is quite true ; at the time of publication of Dr. Torrey’s Flora of the State of New York, in 1843, the only station for this species known in that State was near Buffalo, where it was col- lected by Dr. Sartwell; it is now one of the most abundant weeds in grass fields throughout, I think, nearly all portions of the State and is a pest to farmers in many counties, being ex- ceedingly abundant everywhere within one hundred miles of New York City. No indication of its occurrence further east in the northern states is given in the first edition of Dr. Gray’s Manual of 1848, where its range is cited from western New York to Wisconsin and southward. In the second edition of Dr. Gray’s Manual, 1856, this is supplemented by the statement ‘‘also in southern New York (White Plains), and various parts of New England, but probably of recent introduction.’ In the sixth edition of Dr. Gray’s Manual, 1890, the statement of the first edition is repeated, supplemented by “‘now common asa weed in eastern meadows, introduced with clover-seed from the West.”

[The exact date of publication of each issue of TORREYA is given in the succeed- ing number ]

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It was the acceptance of the ranges cited by Gray which caused the limitation by me of the native habitat of the plant to the western prairies. I find, however, on reference to Dr. Darling- ton’s Florula Cestrica, that the plant is recorded from Chester County, Pa., in 1826, though it is there said to be not common. In the third edition of the Flora Cestrica, 1853, it is recorded by Darlington as growing in ‘“ fence-rows and thickets, not common.”

In 1857, Dr. Knieskern records it in his Catalogue of Plants of Monmouth and Ocean County, New Jersey, as occurring in dry fields, not common. In the Catalogue of Plants of New Castle County, Delaware, published in 1844, the species is ad- mitted without question. In Dr: Aikin’s Catalogue of Plants of the vicinity of Baltimore, Md., 1837, the plant is said to grow in bushy meadows. According to Dr. Curtis’ Catalogue of Plants of North Carolina, 1867, it is said to grow in all the districts of that State. In Dr. Elliott's Botany of South Carolina and Georgia, 1824, it is recorded as growing in dry sandy soil.

It seems to me from the above citations that the point made by Mr. Moore is well taken, and that there is no evidence that the species is not native on the Atlantic sea-board from Maryland or, perhaps, Pennsylvania, southward ; that it has, however, been introduced, as Dr. Gray suggested, presumably from the West, into New York and New England, seems from its recorded his- tory, equally certain.

SEEDLINGS OF ARISAEMA By D. T. MacDoucGaL

The writer has had the seedlings of Arisaema triphyllum and A. Dracontium under observation for some time in etiolation experiments and some facts of independent interest have been gathered and are presented here.

The general facts concerning the germination of A. triphyllum~ are familiar and need be recounted only briefly. The cylin- drical cotyledon pushes out of the seed coats in about six

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weeks after being placed in moist soil, carrying the hypocotyl and plumule. It becomes progeotropic almost immediately upon its emergence from the seed coats and pushes its way down into the soil to a depth of 8to 10 mm._ The basal or outer end of the hypocotyl next becomes slightly enlarged giving rise to one to three roots which penetrate the soil to a depth of 2 or 3 centi- meters. These roots are well provided with root hairs in the earlier stages of their existence and later contract to some extent as indicated by the wrinkled epidermis, losing the root hairs previous to this process. This results, of course, in the pulling of the corm downward into the soil, and the repetition of the process in succeeding stages finally buries the adult corm to a depth of Io cm. or more.

Shortly after root-formation has begun, the first leaf begins to grow, emerging from the cylindrical cotyledon through a rupture near the seed. By the activity of the leaf, carbohydrates are formed, and the third stage of the seedling is marked by the en- largement of the corm until it reaches a size about equal or greater than the seed, and is conical, or globose in form. Almost all of the original store in the seed is expended in the construc- tion of the seedling in the two first stages of development.

During the course of the etiolation experiments, numbers of seeds and plants were divided into two lots, one being placed in the dark chamber and a second in the experimental laboratory. The seeds from an entire fruit of A. Dracontium were thus placed in two pots in January. No seedlings being visible in the first week of May the soil was explored to determine the fate of the seeds. To the great surprise of the writer num- bers of seedlings were found which had undergone the develop- ment underneath the surface, and those in the dark room were indistinguishable from those grown in the light. In fact, this plant was found to offer a second example of a germination of the seed without development of the plumule, a type of pro- cedure which is followed also by Arum maculatum as discovered by Scott and Sargant.*

* Scott and Sargant. On the Development of Arum maculatum from the Seed. Annals of Botany, 12: 399-414. 1808.

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The cylindrical cotyledon of A. Dracontium frees itself from the seed coats and attains a length which varies from 3 mm. to 6 to 7 mm. and pushes down into the soil. Before this extension has ceased, the base of the hypocotyl begins to enlarge and in the case of the shorter cotyledons may bring the resulting corm actually in contact with the seed. Coincidently with the swell- ing of the hypocotyl the appearance of two or three roots is to be noted. These are furnished with hairs and are highly con- tractile. In the matter of the development of the plumule the widest variation is shown. In the greater number of instances the plumule is absolutely quiescent during this germination and the formation of the corm goes forward until the seed is ex- hausted, when the roots go into the contractile state and pull it down into the soil with no showing of a leaf during the first stage of its development. This agrees in the main with the behavior of Arum maculatum. Ina small number of seedlings of A. Dracontium, however, the first leaf may be dissected out as a small body about 3 mm. long, of which half is petiole and the other half a rolled green lamina which reaches no greater de- velopment, and never emerges from the cylindrical cotyledon in which it is enclosed. In 9 of the 70 seedlings which came under observation, the first leaf became active before the hypocotyl had doubled its thickness and before more than one root was formed, and extended, forming a petiole 3-4 cm. long and a broad lamina. The seed remains attached to the corm by the cotyledon for an unusually long period and may be seen ad- hering to the corms formed by leafless seedlings in their first resting period.

The seedlings of Avim maculatum and Arisaema Dracontium are thus seen to be entirely saprophytic during the first season of their development.

Ignorance of this habit of A. Dracontium led the writer to sac- rifice a fine lot of seedlings of a hybrid between A. Dracontinm and A. triphyllum. During the first season of the development of these plants only seven plumules were counted and when the second season began thirty plants were found, which led to the belief that the culture had been vitiated and the entire lot was

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discarded. Fortunately some drawings had been made which pre- served characters easy of interpretation in the light of subsequent discoveries.

NOTES ON THE GENUS LYCOPODIUM

By FrAncis E. Lioyp

Lycopodium Chamaecyparissus.—Through the courtesy of Mr. D. K. Gilbert, the writer has received specimens of this plant collected at Alder Creek, Oneida Co., N. Y., at which place it grows “‘plentifully in woods.’ This establishes the fact of the plant’s distribution in this State, from which it was not hitherto reported. ‘‘The specimens were gathered in early October, and * you will see that the strobiles are old and brown. Those of Z. complanatum gathered at the same time and place were still yel- lowish green and show that their time of ripening is much later than that of L. Chamaecyparissus,” writes Mr.Gilbert. This dis- crepancy in the time of ripening, first noted by Austin in New Jersey, is an important physiological character distinguishing the two species. Another observed difference is in the position of the rhizome, which in ZL. Chamaecyparissus is underground and in L. complanatum prostrate on the surface. Notes by field workers on this point should be made during the coming season.

L. pinnatum.—In August of the past year Professor S. M. Tracy and the writer were collecting in the vicinity of Biloxi, Miss., and a locality was found where this plant grows in abun- dance, and in perfect form. The horizontal stems are quite pros- trate and thin and the leaves are confined to one plane very closely. The habitat is a very wet white or yellowish clay bank with full insolation. In the same spot L. Carolinianum was found grow- ing to a good size (18 cm.). There can be no doubt of the dis- tinct specific value of this plant. When it grows in sphagnum bogs, as was found to be the case near Auburn, Ala., a little later in the same season, the plant becomes so spindling and distorted as the result of its struggles in growing through the moss, that it becomes very difficult to recognize it.

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L. alopecuroides.—This species also was found in savannahs near Biloxi. In the South the variation of the plant is quite small in amount. The arching of the stem, its thickness (4-5 mm.) and the leaf positions separate it very readily from L. pznnatum. Recently we advanced the notion that the presence or absence of reflexion of the sporophylls when ripe would serve to distinguish the two plants, but our observations in the South do not strengthen that view. The plants were, however, not ripe, and further ob- servation is necessary.

L. adpressum.—The validity of this species is still open to some doubt. We found during July last, in bogs near Toms River, N. J., many plants which show the same perplexing varia- tion recently referred to by Clute in the Fern Bulletin (9: 8. 1901). No plant of the species was found in the South. As the plants of Toms River were by no means mature we hesitate. to submit an opinion on them further than to say that forms from New Jersey, hitherto regarded as L. alopecuroides and L. adpressum are apparently the ends of a series of many inter- gradations. One point we think settled, namely, that the denticu- lations of the leaves are of no constant specific value in distin- guishing species of this segregate. It is, however, worth while to point out that the plants of the zauxdatum group, from that species to L. alopecuroides, including the so-called adpressum, are to be regarded as a series of forms in a plastic condition. They seem also to be very susceptible to small changes or differences in the environment. It becomes necessary, therefore, to study them very carefully in the field, and full series of specimens should be collected with differences in habitat carefully noted. One way in which some useful work might be done by those who are in favorable conditions would be to exchange growing plants, say of ZL. zxundatum and L. alopecuroides and to deter- mine by cultivation in different environmental conditions whether they vary toward each other. It is also of great interest to note that the segregate has in the Old World, so far as known, only one representative, L. zxundatumt.

THE SUMMIT FLORA OF KING’S MOUNTAIN AND CROWDER’S MOUNTAIN, NORTH CAROLINA

By JoHn K. SMALL

A few miles north of the southern boundary of North Caro- lina and many miles east of the Appalachian Mountain system, is an irregular ridge with a northeasterly and southwesterly trend. From most adjacent points this ridge is not conspicuous ; in fact, it might be passed unobserved were it not for the two peaks which rise abruptly near its northeastern extremity. These peaks are known as King’s Mountain and Crowder’s Mountain.

The geology of the region in question is quite similar to that of the nearest portion of the Blue Ridge, while neither peak reaches an altitude of quite 1,800 feet. The top of King’s Mountain is a little higher above the level of the sea than that of Crowder’s Mountain.

I have visited this locality several times and have found inter- esting, rare and undescribed species; but it is the character of the vegetation inhabiting the summits that especially impresses one.

The summits of both mountains are small and very rugged; that of Crowder’s is somewhat larger and less rugged than that of King’s Mountain. Onascending the slopes of either mountain two striking features arrest the eye. They are the prevalence of a very local species which has taken the name of one of the moun- tains, namely Lactnaria Regimontis, and of the relatively rare fern, Asplentum Bradley. The main peculiarity in connection with this fern there, is that it does not confine itself to its favorite habitat, namely, overhanging cliffs ; but it is, or it was up to the time I last visited the locality, very common and grew nearly everywhere, on cliffs, on ledges, on and about boulders and in loose soil.

The vegetation of the summits is almost exclusively of woody plants, and shrubby. The shrubby condition of normally large forest trees presents an extraordinary and interesting aspect. The chestnut tree, Castanea dentata, ranges from three to six

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feet in height, nevertheless these plants produce an abundance of fruit. Sassafras, Pinus Virginiana, Quercus Prinus, Diospyros and Oxydendrum, all appear in the same form and stature. The common sour gum, /Vyssa sylvatica, in like condition, exists on King’s Mountain, and a single shrub of //exr ofaca was found on the uppermost cliffs of Crowder’s Mountain.

The normally shrubby plants appear more natural. Polycodium stamineum, Vaccinium vacillans and Quercus nana are common to both peaks, while Kalmia latifolia, Rhododendron Catawbiense, Gaylussacia frondosa, Gaylussacia resinosa and Batodendron ar- boreum are species apparently confined to the top of King’s Mountain. Only two perennial or shrubby herbs, namely Galax aphylla and Paronychia argyrocoma, exist on the summit of King’s Mountain, while the summit of Crowder’s Mountain is destitute of herbaceous vegetation with the exception of a fern and a few sterile plants of some sedge. |

A SIMPLE DYNAMOMETER ; By H. M. RICHARDS

It is instructive to demonstrate that force is exerted by the swelling of seeds previous to germination, or, for that matter, in the imbibition of water by any substance capable of taking it up. A very simple machine for registering approximately the amount of energy involved, which perhaps may be dignified by the name of a dynamometer, is found in one of the ordinary self-registering letter scales which work by compression. A dish containing the seeds is placed on the pan of the scale, and on top of them is laid a cork, or better a glass plate, which just fits into the glass vessel without binding. The whole is placed ona retort stand anda stick, held firmly by a clamp, is placed against the glass plate. Water is now poured on, and as it runs down among the seeds they swell, and the glass cover being rigid the scale itself is de- pressed as a result of the pressure. It is needless to say that the weight of the dish, seeds, etc., must first be recorded. In this way an idea of the amount of force exerted by a given weight of

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seeds can be obtained. It is not of course very accurate or strictly quantitative, but it is at least approximate, and suitable for comparisons, say between living and dead seeds.

The dials of these scales, as obtained in this country, are graduated in ounces, but it is not difficult to substitute a paste- board dial and regraduate it in grammes by means of weights placed on the scale pans. This is of course preferable. The con- struction of these scales is so simple that there is no reason why a home-made and weaker spring could not be substituted for the one provided, and in such a manner an apparatus capable of more delicate adjustment could be obtained. With a more sensitive balance the force exerted by the downward growth of the root tip of Vicza aba could be recorded.

THE RARE MOSSES OF BASHBISH FALLS By ELizABETH G. BRITTON

Bashbish Falls may be reached from the Copake station of the Harlem Railroad, by a short walk, and are about one hundred miles from New York City. They are situated in a picturesque ravine with steep walls of rock and wooded slopes surrounding them. Many interesting mosses have been collected in the two expeditions which I have made to this locality, the rarest of which is Anomobryum concinnatum, this being the third station recorded for this species in the State. Didymodon riparius was collected by Mr. Williams in the stream above the Falls and on the wet cliffs were found Didymodon rubellus, associated with Gymnostomum rupestre, Amphoridium Lapponicum, and Myurella Careyana, all rare species for this region, but finding congenial moisture and shade in this sheltered ravine. Homalia Jamesiu, Porotrichum Alleghentense, Pogonatum alpinum and Forsstrémia trichonitria growing on wet rocks, were also collected above the Falls, and the slopes on the south side yielded Hylocomium brevirostre and Dicranella heteromalla with curved pedicels. Fine fruiting speci- mens of Sryum proliferum were also found in the region.

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ECONOMY IN NATURE By P. A RYDBERG

Rising ‘‘ on stepping stones Of their dead selves to higher things.”’

On Faitoute Avenue in New Orange, New Jersey, used to stand an old cherry tree, seven or eight feet in circumference. About seven feet from the ground it divided into two trunks. Just at the junction of the two there was a big hole, indicating that the tree was decayed and hollow. Nothing of peculiar in- terest about this tree was revealed, however, until the severe storm came in the spring of 1899, when one of the two trunks was torn down. The hollow trunk contained several bushels of cherry-pits and mulch, produced by decayed cherries and leaves. An adventitious root had sprung fromthe margin of the hole, ramified in this mass of decayed matter, and grown to the size of the thickness of one’s wrist. Not satisfied, however, to feed only on old cherries and leaves, it had sent numerous branches into the decayed portion of the trunk, and the tree was actually feed- ing on itself, like the old wolf which, according to the fable, was eating its own frozen legs.

REVIEW

A “ Flora of Vermont,* a list of the fern and seed-plants grow- ing without cultivation,’ prepared by President Ezra Brainerd, Professor L. R. Jones and Mr. W. W. Eggleston, a committee of the Vermont Botanical Club, was issued in December, 1900. This list represents much careful and painstaking work on the part of the authors and their associates, involving a thorough- going revision of previously published lists of Vermont plants. The spirit in which the work has been conceived is revealed in the following words from the preface: ‘‘ In every case where a name is admitted to the main list, there is an authenticated specimen de- posited in one or more of the permanent herbaria of the state, or

* Brainerd, Jones and Eggleston. Flora of Vermont, a list of fern- and seed- plants growing without cultivation. 8vo. Pp. i-xii; 1-113. Burlington, 15 D. 1900. [Extracted from Twentieth Vermont Agricultural Report. |

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in such other herbarium as is indicated in the accompanying note. The invariable rule has been to admit no name which has not an extant specimen back of it. This has necessarily led to the ex- clusion of a number of names of plants reported by earlier botanists. In many of these cases the evidence is such as to leave little doubt that the plants actually occurred as reported, and probably many of them will be rediscovered. The names of such plants are included in a supplementary list at the end of the main catalogue, and each name so appearing should be con- sidered as a challenge to the sagacity of present botanists until the plant is again found.’ The main list includes a total of 1,563 species and varieties of Phanerogams and Pteridophytes. The Engler and Prantl sequence is adopted, but the nomencla- ture is essentially that of Gray’s Manual and of the Kew Her- barium. Whatever may be our differences of opinion as to the claims of usage and expediency in nomenclatural matters (any appeal to ethical grounds being logically denied to us who accept an initial date for nomenclature), it certainly seems a violent per- version of botanical history to retain longer for one of our com- mon ferns the generic name Dicksonia, a name, which, so far as the Pteridophytes are concerned, was first applied to two species of ferns so different from ours that now, by common consent, they are placed in an entirely different family. Even Sir William once wrote, ‘‘ The

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Jackson Hooker,* a prince of “‘ conservatives,’ name of Dicksonia surely, however, ought to be preserved to the original D. arborescens (Balantium Kaulf. * * ),” and this posi- tion is maintained by Diels in the Engler and Prantl Pflanzen- familien and by other modern writers. From an international standpoint, the attempts to preserve two Dicksonias in two dif- ferent families of ferns are likely to prove a little confusing.

Those who have seen Lycopodium Chamaecyparissus growing side by side with Lycopodium complanatum and so distinct as to be readily distinguished at a distance of several feet and showing not the least tendency to intergrade will be very sceptical as to the propriety of considering it a variety of L. complanatum.

At the close of the work are shorter lists, representing the more important regional floras, in which we see an expression of the

* Hooker, W. J. Genera Filicum, #7. 67 A [text].

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commendable and increasingly popular modern tendency to study plants particularly in relation to their surroundings. The pam- phlet is attractively printed and is most fittingly dedicated to the well-known botanical collector, Mr. Cyrus G. Pringle. The Vermont Botanical Club is to be congratulated upon the enthusi- asm and enterprise which have resulted in the publication at this time of such an important addition to the list of American local

floras. [M. A. H.]

NEWS ITEMS

Professor Francis E. Lloyd, of the Teachers College, Co- lumbia University, is soon to take a half year’s leave of absence. He will spend the time in the laboratory of Professor Strasburger at Bonn.

The Asa Gray Bulletin and the Plant World have effected a consolidation, retaining the name of the latter. The place upon the editorial board which was to have been filled by the late Thomas A. Williams of the Asa Gray Bulletin, will be taken by Mr. Cornelius L. Shear.

Dr. William A. Murrill, whose valuable paper on ‘‘ The De- velopment of the Archegonium and Fertilization in the Hemlock Spruce (7suga Canadensis Carr.),” has recently appeared in the Annals of Botany, is now Instructor in Biology in the Boys’ High School, New York City. Dr. Murrill received his degree from Cornell University.

The last annual meeting of the Society for Plant Morphology and Physiology was held at Baltimore, December 27th and 28th. The presidential address, entitled ‘‘ A Decade of North American Palaeobotany,” was given by Professor D. P. Penhallow, of McGill University. Among the papers presented were three by Dr. D. T. MacDougal, with the following titles: ‘‘ Critical Points in the Relation of Light to Plants,” ‘“‘ Propagation of Lystmachia,” and “ Germination of Avisaema.”’ Anaccount of ‘ The Insular Flora of Mississippi and Louisiana,” illustrated by lantern views, was given by Professor F. E. Lloyd. Dr. Erwin. F. Smith was elected president for the ensuing year, and Professor W. F.

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TORREYA

February, 1go1

Vol. r

WBE WAIL OQ! POIRIESINR YY JON A COWIKSI3 Ole INDE WUIRIS, STUD

By ELIzABETH CARSS

Until very recently, little or no attention was paid to the care of our forest trees or to the relation of our forests to water sup- ply and soil preservation. Forests were cut only for immediate gain with no regard to future productiveness. Tracts of land were also carelessly burned and no means taken to prevent such occurrences. The consequence is that many districts once cov- ered by forests are now barren wastes of stumps. I[*arms are often seen where a good wood patch has been so reduced as scarcely to provide the household fuel. I recall one farm in northern New York where the only plot of woodland that the farmer possessed has been almost entirely cut away within the last five or ten years. At first, as the wood was abundant and the farmer felt no particular need for economy, the cutting was done in a most wanton manner. ‘Tall stumps forty and fifty inches in height have been left, and great tree trunks have been felled and left to decay, often crushing small trees in their fall. In the same region there are two striking examples of hillsides that have been cut and burned to the ground to form “pasture.” The result is scarcely satisfactory even for sheep. The soil at best was very scant and the hard rock ledges formed uneven masses to: which soil could not cling without the aid of vegetation.

It is not difficult to find many illustrations of such destruction as has been described, which is the result of ignorance and con-

[The exact date of publication of each issue of TORREYA is given in the succeed- ing number. Vol. 1, No. 1, comprising pages I-12, was issued January 29, 1901. |

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sequent short-sightedness. Attempts are now being made to _ awaken the private owner to the necessity of care and proper management of forest areas, both for his own sake and for the interests of the country. The Division of Forestry of the Agri- cultural Department at Washington is making efforts to instruct owners of forest lands and to aid them in the care and preserva- tion of such areas. To this end the Division has undertaken to provide a series of practical examples of improved treatment of private forest lands. The object of the undertaking is to show, by assisting a few owners to make a trial of new methods, that improved ways of handling timber lands are best for the owner and forest. The results of these experiments with private lands are to be published for the benefit of all.

In order that a reform may become vital in a country like this, it is necessary that the means of reform should reach not only those who are directly interested, but the many who influence the legislation of the country. The majority of people know nothing of the valuable government publications on the subject, nor ap- preciate the expenditure necessary for experimentation and pub- lication of results.

How can the school aid in establishing among the people a proper estimate of the importance of the forests? We often hear that the aim of the school should be to promote social efficiency. To this end children are given calculations and illustrations from the life of trade and commerce, and are taught the ins and outs of a complex political life. While the value of this may not be disputed, there is here presented a very vital question in which both city and country children should be interested.

Elementary work in forestry may be approached through two parts of the school curriculum: geography and nature study. The subject may be introduced by simple study of trees. With very little children, only the recognition of some of the common trees by means of form, leaves, fruit and blossom, is possible. Later, the work may be expanded somewhat as suggested in the following outline originally prepared by the writer for the Teach- ers College Record :

I. Special tree study.

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General form: branching, height and breadth of the tree. Bark: Characteristic appearance. Does the tree shed the

bark ?

Compare bark of the tree studied with other common trees.

Compare the bark of the needle-leaved trees with that of some of the broad-leaved trees.

Leaf: Compare the form with other leaves that have been

studied. How is the leaf fastened to the stem? Where are the leaf buds for next year? Make a careful study of buds with their wrappings. When do the leaves fall and what changes take place in the leaf before its fall ?

Fruit : How fastened to the stem? Where most abundant on

the tree? Kind of seeds produced by the tree ?

Germination of seeds: Recognition of seeds of the common

trees. Allow the seeds to sprout and examine stages of srowth. Brief account of nourishment and growth of trees.

Twigs: Prominence of certain buds and smallness of others.

ne

IDOE

IV.

We 1s

Development of buds on different parts of the twigs; size, shape, color of buds; shape and character of bud scales. Scars onthe twigs. Leaf scars; budscars. Annual growth as shown by external markings ; compare growth of different years. Growth and development of branches.

Field work. Recognition of individual trees at different sea- sons. General outline for field work: difference in height of trees ; difference in foliage masses ; advantage of different types growing together; trees that have the greatest number of branches ; results of crowding ; method of mak- ing a tree grow with a tall, straight trunk; the effect upon the wood if numerous branches are allowed to develop ; method of cutting and pruning.

Care of trees and forests. Some ways in which destruction of forest areas has come about ; fires, careless cutting, etc., insect pests, fungus growths. Ways of preventing destruc- tion.

Let some pupil write for pamphlets. Discuss the efforts that are being made to save the trees and forests. Com- pare our forest tracts with forest areas in Europe.

Wild life in the woods. Make a list of some of the wild animals seen in the woods in which we have been, and speak of their interesting characteristics, enemies, means of protection, etc. Life in winter, snow tracks. Hunting centers of the United States.

Lumbering.

Lumbering regions and forest reserves: Where situated in

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the United States? Characteristic trees of different regions. Relation of water supply and forests. Control of erosion by forests. The effect of extensive cutting upon distribution of soil. Examples of excessive erosion and excessive deposition of soil.

2. Lumber camps: Sites chosen—reasons. Why winter is a good time for cutting and hauling. Transportation from lumber camp.

3. Saw mills: Situation; power used for operation; ways of preparing wood.

VI. Woods. Examine woodwork in the school room. Notice the different grain found. What is the grain of wood? Why do pieces of wood differ so much in grain? Ex- amine small logs of different woods cut in cross, longitu- dinal and radial sections. Growth of wood—meaning of rings in the wood; green layer under the bark ; injury caused by girdling trees.

It is not supposed that this outline can be carried out in all schools, but it is believed that many valuable lessons can be given along such lines of thought as are here suggested. The work as it stands is very comprehensive and is intended to be distributed throughout a course of nature study and geography.

A large part of this has been in use in the Horace Mann School in New York and has been found of great interest to the boys and girls, and it is hoped that such study in the schools will lay the foundation for an intelligent interest in the problems of forestry in the United States, and thus aid in checking the destruction which has already attained alarming proportions.

A NEW HYGROMETER SUITABLE FOR TESTING Nv CMON MO esi Ovary es

By D. T. MacDouGAL

Light, temperature, electricity, mechanical shock, moisture of the soil, salts in the soil, humidity of the air, winds, and pro- longed darkness, exercise an influence upon the guard-cells of stomata in such manner that the pore is closed or opened when

7

any one of these forces acts with increased or decreased intensity upon the plant. The behavior of stomata to these factors is ex- ceedingly various however. Thus some stomata open when the leaf is placed in water, while others close ; some stomata open in light, while others close under the effect of the sun’s rays. Again, weak electric shock gives rise to one result, while a strong shock exercises the reverse action.

Any study of stomata by which their action is observed by means of a microscope will be vitiated with many errors, because in taking the epidermis from a leaf and. mounting it for examina- tion, stimuli are set up, which may cause the stoma to open or close before its original condition can be observed.

Practically all of the water given off by a leaf in transpiration passes through the stomata in the form of vapor, and the best method of ascertaining whether the stomata are opened or closed is to use some means of detection of watery vapor. This may be done in two ways, viz., by the cobalt method, in which paper saturated with cobalt nitrate placed on the leaf changes from a bluish to a reddish color in the presence of watery vapor; the second method consists in the use of a hygrometer. Several types of these instruments are in use in physiological laboratories. In one the variations in length of a strand of human hair with the changing humidity moves a lever carrying a pen which gives a constant record of the proportion of watery vapor in the air. This form has not been made suitable for testing the action of leaves. Another hygrometer consists essentially of an awn of some grass, like St#pa, which twists or untwists with the varia- tions in humidity of the atmosphere. This type has been found very useful in some forms of investigation. A third form con- tains a thin strip of some material which curves and straightens with the varying humidity, and the best example of this type is the horn hygrometer of F. Darwin, in which the sensitive mate- rial is made of a thin strip of pressed horn. The simpler forms of hygrometer sold in the market for general use have a sensitive strip composed of two layers of material of different hygroscopic- ity, and the writer has devised one for testing the action of stomata which is based upon this principle. It may be made as follows:

18

Secure a straight piece of iron or copper wire 2 mm. in diameter and 25 cm. long, and bend a section 8 cm. long at right angles. Thrust this short arm through the axis of a cylindrical cork 15 mm. long and 8 mm. in diameter and bend the terminal 5 cm. at right angles and parallel with the long arm. Cut a strip from a developed film plate, such as are supplied by photographers, 8 cm. longand 5 mm. wide. Cutaslit in the cork parallel to the axis and thrust one end of the film in the slit. Now fasten a bristle 5 or 6 cm. long to the free end of the strip of film, which should have its convex surface uppermost. Bend the free end of the long arm of the wire upwards and at right angles, affixing a cork to the tip to which a suitable scale may be attached with glue (Fig. 1, J). Turn the cork on its axis until the strip would lie within 2 mm. of any surface on which the apparatus might be placed ; note the position of the pointer, and place on the under surface of leaf which has been laid on a table upside down. If the stomata

PSS

=

Fic. 1. Differential hygrometer. A, strip of film. 4, cork. C, portion of wire bent upward to hold scale. , scale over which the indicator has moved two divisions showing open stomata in the leaf on which the instrument rests. (Illus- tration from ‘‘A Practical Text-Book of Plant Physiology,’ by MacDougal, now in press. By permission of Longmans, Green & Co. )

are open the gelatine of the film will absorb watery vapor in- stantly and the strip will begin to straighten so that a movement of the indicator may be noticed inside of ten seconds. Set the hygrometer aside for a few minutes and place on the opposite side of the leaf. If it is free from open stomata no movement will be seen.

UG)

The instrument is extremely delicate and care must be taken not to blow the breath upon it while making a test, and the transpiration of the hand will give a decided reaction. Leaves attached to the plant may be tested both indoors and outdoors. It is believed that this instrument is free from most of the faults ascribed by F. Darwin to the horn hygrometer devised by him, and is quite as accurate and sensitive.

WUE, INCEOIDNNOIML ANIL Jal Qvile By FREDERICK H. BLODGETT

In Middlesex County, New Jersey, the climbing fern [ Lygodium _ palmatum (Bernh.) Swz.] occurs in considerable abundance. The several localities are quite similar in general conditions, and a description of one will serve for an average of all.

The most accessible spot where it is found abundantly is a few miles south of New Brunswick, in the edge of the sandy area known as ‘‘the burnt woods.” This is a tract of low hills and shallow hollows covered to a large extent with various scrub oaks and laurel. Many of the hollows contain water, either as nearly stagnant ponds, or as bogs of sphagnum and other aquatic plants. It is in one of these sphagnum bogs that the Lygodium Srows.

Swamp maples and other water-loving trees surround the bog» giving place to the lower forms as the edge of the peat is reached, so that the surface of the sphagnum is nearly free from shade during the greater part of the day. Near the west end of the bog there are three colonies of Lygodium, a small one at the southwest, another at the northwest, and the third at the apex of a triangle, nearly equilateral, formed by the three. The fern srows among and entwines the low shrubbery and stout her- baceous plants forming the border of the sphagnum area of the swamp.

The largest colony is that in the northwest corner of the swamp. Here, on the 22nd of last December, the stems of golden-

20

rod and similar plants were closely entwined by the coils of the fern for nearly four feet from the ground. The fruiting pinnules were very abundant and formed nearly half the length of the, fronds. Six or more fronds were often twined about the same stem, forming a loosely coiled rope. The pinnules of such masses would make the diameter of the whole reach three or four inches—a dense cluster of fine brownish lobes, contrasting with the brighter green of the less dissected and fewer sterile pinnules lower on the stem. Following the slender fronds down- ward, the dark brown rootstocks are found covered with about an inch of moss and leaf-mould, among the roots of the plants which support the fronds. The rootstocks, which usually bear only a few, from one to three, fronds, are often branched, throw- ing off one branch at a time, and they persist for a number of years, so that a length of a foot or more is not rare.

While the plants appear to require abundant moisture, they are not common in the sphagnum of the swamp, but are confined quite strictly to the growth of stout herbaceous plants and low shrubs along the bog margin, or on islands of similar growth in the midst of the sphagnum.

The large colony just described covers about a square rod at the edge of the bog, but extends through the undergrowth for a considerable distance from the open swamp. Along the sides of a diainage ditch it is quite luxuriant but does not equal the more exposed plants. Here the soil has only a thin layer of moss and leaf-mould upon it, the rootstocks being more directly in con- tact with the wet sand below. In some portions of the swamp area there are clay beds, but the Lygodium has not been observed in their immediate vicinity.

The sterile pinnules of the climbing fern were almost grass- green on December 22nd, but the fertile ones were turning brown. Nearly all other foliage had been killed and browned by the se- vere frosts, so that the color of the fern was in striking contrast to its surroundings. But conspicuous as its color was, it was not easily seen until close at hand, owing to the mass of dead sedge stalks, of golden-rods and briers in the midst of which the plants are located.

A NEW SENECIO FROM PENNSYLVANIA By N. L. Brirron

In the course of a field excursion of the Torrey Club and the Philadelphia Botanical Club on May 29, 1899, at Penn Valley and Tullytown, Bucks Co., Pa., my attention was called by Mr. Joseph Crawford to a Senecio growing in abundance in a marshy meadow at Tullytown, which seemed different from any described species. The plant was in full flower at the time and its bright yellow rays were a conspicuous feature in the land- scape. Ripe fruiting specimens were secured from the same place by Mr. Crawford on June 6, 1900.

The locality had already been considerably explored by the Philadelphia botanists and is interesting from the large number of pine-barren plants which inhabit it, the soil being very sandy,

The new species resembles both Senecio Balsamitae Muhl., of dry soil, and S. Robins Oakes, of northern meadows, but is, I

think, distinct from either. I append a description. ~ Senecio Crawfordii.— Perennial, with slender thread-like roots, glabrous, or with sparse woolly pubescence below. Stem slen- der, about 4 dm. high: leaves thick, firm, the basal ones erect, the larger 2—2.5 dm. long, the blades oval, oblong, or some of them narrowly obovate, mostly not more than one-half as long as the slender petioles, sharply and nearly equally serrate from the acute or obtuse apex to the entire cuneate base, or the lower teeth somewhat larger than the upper; stem leaves lanceolate or nar- rower, mostly acuminate, incised-serrate, clasping, the upper ses- sile, the lower peticled, the uppermost very small: heads 3-7 ; peduncles 1.5-10 cm. long, slender, bracted, rarely forked ; in- volucre 7-9 mm. high, its bracts linear-lanceolate, acuminate, I-I.5 mm. wide, shorter than the white barbellate pappus ; rays

8-10 mm. long ; achenes linear, striate, 2.5 mm. long, 0.5 mm. thick.

Type specimens in herbarium of the New York Botanical Garden.

i) bo

ROSPMCUINTA@VielS sles) Soa: By WILLIAM A. RILEY

Mr. Ellis has described * under the name Sphaeria ovalis, a pyrenomycete occurring on Artemisia in Utah. Specimens were issued as No. 896 of N. A. F. A careful comparison of these with specimens of Rosellinia pulveracea (Ehr.) shows no essential differences and has led me to question the validity of the species.

In North American Pyrenomycetes, Mr. Ellis says regarding the new species: ‘Closely allied to R. pulveracea, differing prin- cipally in its perithecia.’ A careful study of the two species reveals individual perithecia of each which correspond perfectly. Those of R. pulveracea are in some cases subovate, while, on the other hand, those of R. ovalis are sometimes subglobose. Even in the descriptions there is not brought out any marked distinc- tion. Asan aid to comparison, I tabulate Ellis’s descriptions of the two species:

Rosellinia ovalis (E\l.) Sacc. | Rosellinia pulveracea (Ehr.) Fckl.

1. Perithecia gregarious or sub- : 1. Perithecia densely gregarious,

caespitose. often forming continuous 2. Ovate. | crustaceous layer and sove- 3. Rough. | times scattered. 4. 250-300 » in diameter. | 2. Ovate-globose. 5. Ostiolum obtusely papilliform. 3. Minutely tubercular-rough- 6. Ascicylindrical,60-65 ~X 6p. ened. 7. Stipe 15-20 p. | 4. One-third mm. in diameter. 8. Spores short-elliptical to ob- 5. Ostiolum papilliform.

long, 8-124 X 5-7 vu. 6. Asci cylindrical 60-70 » X Io

—I2 py.

7. Stipe 20-30 p. 8. Spores elliptical, 8-15 X 6 — =9 p.

The above table shows some little distinction in size of asci

* Bull. Torr. Club, 8: 125. 1881.

23

and spores. The unimportance of these characters, unless very marked, is quite generally recognized by workers on this group and has been frequently emphasized. An instance is afforded by a series of measurements of asci and spores of LK. pulveracea from the various exsiccati. In these Mr. Ellis found a varia- tion from 60-70 » x 8-10 in asci and from 6-8 x 5-6 to 10-122 X 7-gy in spores. My measurements of the same species show a variation. from 70 x 74 to 90 X 13 p in asci; from) 10x 7 /satom ts) 6 106 in Ssporess) Monee ovals, llis’s measurements, as seen above, are 60-65yx Oy for asci; 8-124 x 5-7 for spores. I find asci as large as 85 x 7p, spores 10-122 x 6-7y. From a comparison of these figures it may be seen that on the basis of asci and spores we cannot even approximate a separation of the two species. It is my be- lief that Rosellinia ovals (Ell.) is, at most, but a variety of KX. pulveracea (Ehr.).

It should be noted that Saccardo attributes this species to New Jersey, whereas, it has so far been reported only from Utah. Misled by the statement ‘‘on sage-brush” he doubtfully refers to the host as Sa/vza.

BOTANICAL DEPARTMENT, CORNELL UNIVERSITY.

NEWS ITEMS

The sixth annual winter meeting of the Vermont Botanical Club was held in Burlington, on January 25th and 26th. Fourteen papers were presented.

“ The Gamophyllous, a monthly magazine devoted to plant life in field, forest and garden,” is the title of a recently established periodical. It is edited and published by Mr. Harry A. Bird of Plainfield, New Jersey.

An interesting paper entitled ““An Ecological Study of the New Jersey Strand Flora,’ by Dr. John W. Harshberger was issued on December 31, 1900. It is extracted from the Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia.

Dr. David Griffiths, who received his advanced degree from

24

Columbia University last June, is now botanist of the Agricultural Experiment Station at Tucson, Arizona. His doctorate thesis, an important paper on the North American Sordariaceae is in press.

The appearance of “A Practical Text-Book of Plant Physi- ology,’ by Dr. D. T. MacDougal is announced for May ist. The book will be suitable for use in the laboratory, will comprise about 350 pages with 150 illustrations, and will be published by Longmans, Green and Company.

Dr. Timothy Field Allen has donated his collection of Char- aceae to the New York Botanical Garden. The collection repre- sents the accumulations of many years of active interest in this group of plants. It is rich in types and co-types and is doubt- less one of the largest collections of Characeae in existence.

““Mosses with a Hand Lens,” an introduction to the study of mosses, lay io J. Coxon, Jed) Of Une Isoyer Initsin Serooll, Brooklyn, is an attractive booklet of 73 pages, issued in Decem- ber last. It contains descriptions of one hundred of the com- moner and more conspicuous mosses in but slightly technical terms, with numerous illustrations.

“The Outline of the Course in Biology” in the Horace Mann School, by Professor F. E. Lloyd and Mr. Maurice A. Bigelow, has recently appeared as Vol. II., No. 1 of the Teachers College Rec- ord. The pamphlet contains the detailed outline of the course in botany and zoology and will be of interest to teachers of those subjects in high schools.

Mr. J. E. Kirkwood has accepted a position in Syracuse Un: versity, where he will take charge of the Department of Botany. Mr. Kirkwood is a graduate of Pacific University, Forest Grove, Oregon. He received the appointment of special Fellow in Bi- ology, Princeton University, for the year 1898-99, on the com- pletion of which he continued his studies at the New York Bo- tanical Garden and Columbia University. His special work has been on the embryology of the Cucurbitaceae and on the food — content and digestion in the coconut during germination.

)

Vol. 1 No. 3

TORREYA

March, 1go1

A NEW HORSE GENTIAN (TRIOSTEUM) COMMON JON) WSUS, JEANS INE IRIN “SIPAINES)

By EuGENE P. BICKNELL

Notwithstanding that Rafinesque, in 1836, proposed six species of Zriosteum in addition to the two which had come down from the time of Linnaeus, these two alone continue to represent the genus in our manuals of to-day. There is, nevertheless, a third species, quite a common one, which seems to have escaped rec- ognition as effectually as if it did not exist. Its discovery, now some years ago, was quite a matter of accident, and affords a good illustration of the utility of botanical gardens in the study of our flora.

In the early days of the New York Botanical Garden, while passing through the grounds one Saturday afternoon in company with Dr. Britton, I rather surprised my companion by asking the name of a 77zosteum cultivated in the herbaceous beds. My own surprise was in turn excited upon learning that the plant was merely the common 7. perfoltatum L. and I insisted that it was, neverthe- less, a species different from the plant with which I was familiar as T. perfoliatum and which actually grew in its native state on the grounds of my own home. The cultivated specimen had been brought from Staten Island, near Dr. Britton’s home, and the fol- lowing day an opportunity was found of visiting, under Dr. Brit- ton’s guidance, the very piece of woodland from which the plant had been removed. There, in its natural surroundings, we found more of it, and the interesting fact at once developed that it was distinctly later-flowering than the species of my own region twenty miles

{ The exact date of publication of each issue of TORREYA is given in the succeed- ing number. Vol. 1, No. 2, comprising pages 13-24, wasissued February 23, 1901. 8 D prising pages 13-24, y

26 farther north along the Hudson River. The latter had come into bloom some two weeks before, whereas the flower-buds of this Staten Island plant were still very immature. I had never col- lected the species familiar to me, taking for granted—a cardinal sin in systematic botany—that it was our supposedly well-known T. perfoliatum, the only red-flowered species allowed by the books. Now, however, upon the first occasion, the two plants were care- fully compared and it needed no profound study to find out that they were distinct species.

The essential or rather the most obvious difference between the two is seen in the main leaves which, broadly perfoliate in true pervfoliatum, are in the new species conspicuously narrowed into a merely sessile base. This, however, holds true only of the principal sets of leaves. In the upper leaves a curious reversal of these characters is frequent. In jerfoliatum the upper leaves are often, or usually, narrowly sessile ; in the contrasted plant they are sometimes distinctly connate.

Just here is encountered a difficulty which I have found insuper- able in attempting the correlation of any of Rafinesque’s descrip- tions with the present new plant. Parts of most of these descrip- tions seem to point toward it ; other parts seem to have a different bearing. It would’ appear that Rafinesque must have had the species but there is no certainty in regard to this nor as to the positive application of any of his names. Those which do not refer unmistakably to 7rviosteum perfoliatum or to T. angustifolium may refer, for anything which appears to the contrary, either to forms or fragments of 7: perfolatum, or tc species as yet un- known. In going over the matter with Dr. Britton, we have been able to reach no other conclusion than this. The case seems © analogous to that of the genus Lechea, about which Rafinesque knew a great deal in a careless and incoherent way or, at least, so set down what he knew, making his descriptions varitable enig- mas to us at the present day.

Triosteum aurantiacum sp. nov.—Stem 5-12 dm. tall, glandular-puberulent to weakly hirsute, simple and erect or late in the season sometimes declined: leaves thin, entire or rarely subsinuate, becoming 1.5-2.5 dm. long and 8-10 cm. wide, ovate-oblong to oblong-lanceolate, acute, attenuate at both ends,

27

or acuminate at the apex and contracted below the middle into a narrow basal portion, sometimes, especially in the upper leaves, the extreme base again slightly dilated and connate, but never broadly perfoliate, green and thinly appressed-hirsutulous above, scarcely paler beneath, except in age, and minutely soft-pubes- cent: corolla dull purplish-red, 14-20 mm. long, the outer sur- face glandular-puberulent, strongly gibbous-saccate at base, more distinctly two-lipped and dilated above and with larger more spreading lobes than in 7. perfoliatum, the stamens rel- atively much shorter and the style less exserted ; calyx-lobes linear, obtuse, the largest becoming 18 mm. long and much sur- passing the corolla; fruit 2-6 in each pair of axils, larger and more obovoid-oblong than in 7: perfoliatum, pubescent, becom- ing orange to bright orange-red.

From Quebec to Minnesota, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Kentucky and Iowa, growing in rich soil in hilly or rocky woods. Comes into flower about New York from May 9g to 20, two or three weeks earlier than 7: perfoliatum. The fruit ripens in late summer and sometimes persists well into November.

The type from Van Cortlandt Park, New York City, is de- posited in the herbarium of the New York Botanical Garden.

This plant, although greatly resembling 7: perfoliatum, has many points of difference. Perhaps the most obvious of these re- sults from the shorter internodes of TZ: perfoliatum and its broadly perfoliate leaves which sometimes measure as much as 5—7 cm. across their united bases. 7: perfolatum is also mostly stouter and more leafy, the leaves thicker, and more rugose-veiny and paler beneath and more densely soft-pubescent. A closer com- parison reveals interesting differences between the flowers of the two species. Not only is the corolla of 7. perfoliatum often duller in color and decidedly greenish about its lower half, but it is markedly different in shape and in relatively longer stamens and more exserted style ; the corolla-tube is nearly cylindric and scarcely at all two-lipped with very short erect lobes scarcely, if at all, surpassing the anthers, in definite contrast with that of 7. aurantiacum, which is decidedly two-lipped and upwardly dilated with much larger more or less spreading lobes much surpassing the included stamens. Furthermore, the calyx segments of Lriosteum perfoliatum are ordinarily much shorter and less foli-

28

aceous than in 7: aurantiacum and usually narrower and more acute. The fruit of 7: perfoliatum is commonly more numerous and crowded than in 7: aurantiacum, mostly 6-8 in each pair of axils, more globose and of a duller yellowish-orange color; at least, I have never seen it of as deep a flame color as that of 7. aurantiacum sometimes becomes. Apparently also the species prefers a more sandy soil in lower, more level woods and thickets.

I have been unable to make out much difference in the distri- bution of the two species, although 7: perfoliatum is perhaps rather more southern in its range. Specimens seen show a range from New York to Minnesota, Alabama, Kentucky and Kansas.

A MODIFIED FORM OF RESPIRATION APPARATUS By H. M. RICHARDS

There are many methods of all degrees of complication by which the amount of carbon dioxide evolved by plants may be measured. Many are simply out of the question for a laboratory which is not extensively stocked, requiring as they do a great array of glassware, many air-tight joints, siphons, aspirators or what not, while others are very crude. The writer has found the following simple and easily constructed piece of apparatus very useful for demonstrating in a fairly accurate way and on a some- what large scale the respiration of plants. It is indeed a mod- ification in form but not in principle of a method long used and often figured in many of the text-books. The apparatus referred to consists, as far as the glassware is concerned, of an exceedingly long-necked flask. Such flasks, however, must be specially blown and are consequently hard to obtain and also somewhat expensive. Instead of such a flask, an ordinary Bo- hemian one of 150 to 200 cc. capacity, with the neck of usual length, is selected. A test-tube, the closed and slightly tapering end of which was just a little too large to slip into the flask’s neck, is next taken. By means of a little carborundum or emery- powder it is ground into the flask neck so as to get an air-tight

Sia Pe ea a egy Diener? bey PR SE Tomy ety 1 Pe erat) PRE meee soy Te nd ee eh ee mee DRS TS a: Lae

29

It may be noted here that carborundum is a very handy grind- ing material. It is harder than emery and cuts more quickly and may be obtained in any grade of powder from the manufacturers at the electrical works at Niagara Falls. The writer has pre- pared ground-glass plates of consider- able size and has ground covers to dishes, joints in tubes, etc., with a minimum amount of trouble by means of this car- borundum.

But to return to the respiration appar- atus. The test-tube having been ground into the neck in a satisfactory manner, its end is next blown out, by heating and blowing while in a Bunsen flame. The hole thus produced may be easily en- larged to any size by moulding with a piece of cold metal.

The tube should now be graduated, which may be done by corking up the end of the tube and running in water from a burette, marking on a paper scale glued to the side any graduation—1 or 5 cc.—that is desired. For use, the flask is filled with seedlings, flowers, leaves, or whatever is to be investigated, and a plug of cotton, loosely poked in, to prevent their falling out when the flask is in- Diagram of Section. The verted. The extension of the neck is Pparatus is supported by a now put with its end (what as a test-tube a ee kta on was its mouth) over mercury. Some ers, seeds, etc. The tube

strong potash—say 50 per cent.—is run may be graduated or the re- sults may be read simply by

in at the top; the weight of the mercury i k comparison.

will be enough to prevent as much, at

least, as 5 cc. from running out. The ground joint of the

test-tube is now painted liberally with vaseline, or better vaseline

and wax, and the correspondingly ground flask joined to it. The

whole apparatus is supported by a clamp on a retort-stand over

the dish of mercury.

30

You now have such a flask with an elongated neck as is fig- ured in the text-books, but with the advantage that, the neck be- ing in two pieces, the potash can be introduced in the manner described with the greatest ease. As the carbon dioxide is evolved, it, of course, sinks and is absorbed by the alkali, the diminution in volume of the air within the flask being shown by the corresponding rise of the mercury in the neck. The tube be- ing graduated, this absorption can be readily observed and noted.

The apparatus is so simple and so quickly and cheaply put to- gether, that several may be set up side by side for comparison of the respiration of different plant organs under different condi- tions. There are certain errors to be guarded against. The rise of the column within the neck should be read from the mercury surface and not from that of the potash above it, since the latter absorbs water as well as carbon dioxide. Great change of tem- perature should also be guarded against, since it alters the vol- ume of gas within the flask, and to this the apparatus is very sensitive. If the volume of the flask and neck, less the contents, be taken, the proper correction for temperature variation may be applied. There is also an error introduced by the variation of vapor tension due to the possible change of the moisture in the enclosed air, but this is not considerable. Such a union by a ground joint is vastly to be preferred to cutting off the flaring mouth of the flask and uniting it to a tube by a rubber joint. The manipulation of a rubber tube of such size and under such conditions is annoying in the extreme. The ground joint pre- pared as above and well sealed with vaseline has proved itself to be entirely air-tight.

THRIVING UNDER DIFFICULTIES

By DaAvip GRIFFITHS

A sewer pipe three feet underground is not only uninviting but rather an unusual object of botanical study. Yet associated with such a structure on the campus of the University of Arizona, the workmen uncovered one of the most interesting struggles for ex-

dl

istence the writer has seen for some time. The sewer system, which was put in eight or ten years ago, is of a most primitive character, being simply a drain pipe leading from the laboratories into a ‘small jravine which finally finds its way into the Santa Cruz. The pipe consists of short sections of tiling, with no shoulders, placed end to end as closely as circumstances would permit, no cement at all being used on the joints. This pipe was laid about three feet under the surface through a hard calcareous subsoil commonly designated by the Spanish name, caliche. After the pipe was placed in position the trench was filled with the white hard chunks of calche together with pieces of brick and scraps of iron and tin, refuse from the construction of the building.

This pipe recently became clogged, necessitating the removal of a large portion of the tiling. While the laborers were exca- vating, they discovered, just above the pipe and running parallel with it, an unusually large contorted root which excited their curiosity. This proved upon examination to be the root of a Virginia creeper situated at a distance of nine feet from one end of the trench. It had followed the wall of the building as far as the tiling, turned an obtuse angle and then proceeded to follow the pipe across the campus. The débris and hard masses of caliche caused it to become exceedingly twisted and contorted, but strange as it seemed to me the contortions were mainly in one plane approximately parallel to the surface. In no instance was the root in actual contact with the pipe, but it followed di- rectly above it at a distance of one to two inches. Laterals, however, were freely given off toward the pipe and in two in- stances small roots were found actually entering between the joints of the tiling and projecting into the lumen.

The clogging of the pipe was due in a very large measure to the entrance of the roots of plants which penetrated mainly from the top and sides, forming dense mats around all the crevices. All roots, whether isolated or in clusters, were imbedded ina black slimy deposit characteristic of such locations.

There is nothing surprising in the fact that roots in this arid region should penetrate into such a structure as that described

32

above in search of moisture ; but when we remember that this small pipe, four inches in diameter, drains two chemical labor- atories running at their full capacity during the entire school year, a different aspect is placed on the phenomenon, No less than 150 pounds of sulphuric acid alone pass through the pipe during the year. Of course there are solutions of other acids and salts in corresponding quantities. At certain times in the year and indeed at different hours of the day, solutions of poisonous chemicals of considerable density must pass down this pipe and bathe the roots which project into it.

There are probably two reasons why the large root of the Virginia creeper should follow the pipe. It found along this path considerable moisture and but slight resistance compared with the hard undisturbed ca/zche on the outside of the trench. But since we are naturally led to suppose that its main object was a search for water, we may inquire why it did not follow the pipe closely instead of remaining at a distance of one to two inches. The probable explanation for this is that it kept a safe distance from the poisonous chemicals which flow down the pipe and that the small quantities which ooze through the loose joints are reacted upon to some extent by the soil which renders them less harmful. Possibly the laterals which entered the pipe did so at atime when the quantity of chemicals in solution was at a minimum, as is the case during the summer months. One of the rootlets which entered the pipe a distance of half an inch was in apparently a perfectly healthy condition but the other which entered a distance of fully an inch had its end blackened and dead.

The roots which formed a mat around the joints and were the chief agents in clogging the pipe proved to be those of Bermuda grass (Capriola Dactylon) a plant which does not appear at all choice with reference to what it drinks, for it is known to thrive in the Southwest in localities where alkali is very abundant. Among other plants growing in the vicinity and which doubtless contributed to some extent to the clogging may be mentioned

burr clover, alfalfa and rescue grass. UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA, February, 1901.

3D

SYNONYMY OF BURMANNIA AND GYROTHECA

By ROLAND M. HARPER

A few weeks ago I had occasion to look up the synonymy of Lurmannia capitata, one of the plants I collected in Georgia last summer, and found the following facts of interest in connec- tion with it.

In Heller's Catalogue of North American Plants, both edi- tions, the name of this species is cited as B. capitata Chapm. But Dr. Chapman was not the original author of the species, for in his Flora of the Southern States, all editions, he gives as a synonym 77ipterella capitata Mx. Michaux based his species on Vogelia capitata Gmel., and Gmelin refers to ‘‘ Walt. flor. carol. p. 69,” where our plant seems to have been first described, under the name of ‘“‘Azonymos capitat.”

Having traced the origin of the name back to Walter, it then occurred to me that Dr. Morong a few years ago had published the combination Gyrotheca capitata,* based on this same Axonymos capitat. of Walter. On examining Walter’s description, I noticed that it applied undoubtedly to our Lurmannia, and had nothing whatever to do with Gyrotheca. But on the opposite page (68) I noticed an Anxonymos tinctort., the description of which clearly applies to our Gyrotheca, and the cause of the trouble at once became evident.

It appears that Dr. Morong in some way got the two names confused, for he says: “It is a little singular that Walter’s spe- cific name has been changed into ‘tinctoria’ by all the writers who have quoted him, from Pursh to Kuntze. The plant is placed by Walter among his ‘Anonymo’ genera, the term he uses when he is doubtful about the genus, but his description is so full that no one can doubt what is meant.”” He then cites the correct page, 68, but gives the wrong specific name, capzfata.

This error seems to have passed unnoticed ever since, having been taken up in the “ List of Pteridophyta and Spermatophyta srowing without cultivation in Northeastern North America”

* Bull. Torr. Club, 20: 472. D. 1893.

34

(Mem. Torr. Club, 5), Britton and Brown’s Illustrated Flora, Rhodora (1: 68), Heller’s Catalogue, and other publications.

In the Kew Index, Walter’s Anxonymos capitat. is correctly re- ferred to Burmannia, and the authorship of the combination Lurmannia capitata is credited to Martius.

The correct synonymy of these two species is then as follows:

BURMANNIA CAPITATA (Walt.) Mart. Nov. Gen. et Sp. Pl. iBrase Te gl2) sro 2t

Anonymos capitat. Walt. Fl. Car. 69. 1788.

Vogelia capitata Gmel. Syst. 2: 107. 1791.

Tripterella capitata Mx. Fl. Bor. Am. 2: 19. pf. 3. - 1803.

GYROTHECA TINCTORIA (Walt.) Sal. Trans. Hort. Soc. I: 327. 1812.

Anonymos tinctori. Walt. Fl. Car. 68. 1788.

Dilatris tinctoria Pursh, Fl. Am. Sept. 30. 1814.

Lachnanthes tinctoria Ell. Bot. S. C. & Ga. 1: 47. 1816.

Gyrotheca capitata Morong, Bull. Torr. Club, 20: 472. 1893.

Several other synonyms for the latter are given in Dr. Mo- _rong’s paper. _

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY.

TRANSPIRATION OF RUST-INFESTED RUBUS By FREDERICK H. BLODGETT

On May 23d last, two branches of Rubus sp. were cut from adjacent plants. The branches were as nearly alike in size and number of leaves as possible, but one was healthy, the other badly rusted (with Gymmnoconia interstitials). Fifteen minutes after cutting they were placed in water. Each had wilted some- what, especially in the new growth of which there were several inches on each branch. The rusted branch was wilted consider- ably more than the healthy one. The healthy specimen revived when placed in water, the rusted one continued to wilt, the basal leaves only showing any tendency to recover.

On the 24th the test was repeated in a more careful manner. The two branches bore the same relation to one another as before, but they were placed in water immediately upon cutting.

9)

The leaf surface was slightly greater in the healthy specimen, as the normal leaves were larger than the rusted, but the num- ber was nearly equal in the two specimens. Large test-tubes were used, in which the branches were left tightly corked over night. When examined on the morning of the 25th the healthy branch was not wilted, the rusted one was considerably so. The «usted specimen evaporated 42 cc. while the healthy specimen evaporated 23 cc. of water under parallel conditions.

Thus the branch with the rusted leaves absorbed nearly twice as much water as the healthy branch, and yet failed to remain unwilted. The rust covered the lower surface of nearly all of the leaflets almost completely, and the extra demand for water thus imposed upon the plant was equivalent to doubling the leaf surface, as indicated by the volume of water transpired.

4

NEWS ITEMS

- Professor A. S. Hitchcock, of the Kansas Agricultural Col- lege, has been appointed Assistant Agrostologist of the Depart- ment of Agriculture in the place of Thomas A. Williams, deceased.

A revision of the Crotons of the United States by A. M. Ferguson has recently been issued as a separate from the Twelfth Annual Report of the Missouri Botanical Garden. Twenty-six species and several varieties are described, most of which are also illustrated.

The Yale Summer School of Forestry will hold its sessions this year at Grey Towers, the estate of Mr. James W. Pinchot, near the village of Milford, Pike Co., Pennsylvania. The instruc- tion will be under the charge of Professor Henry S. Graves and — Professor James W. Toumey.

Mr. Percy Wilson, Museum Aid at the New York Botanical Garden, has been sent with the Solar Eclipse Expedition, under the direction of Professor David P. Todd, of Amherst College, to the Dutch East Indies, for the purpose of securing museum specimens, living plants and seeds. He sailed on March 2, by way of the Suez Canal, for Singapore.

s

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One of the latest results of the remarkable activity of American mycologists and mycophagists is “‘ The Mushroom Book”’ by Miss Nina L. Marshall. It is expected that a review of this will ap- pear in an early number of Zorreya.

Mr. George V. Nash, Head Gardener of the New York Botanical Garden, has gone to the Royal Gardens, at Kew, Eng- land, on the invitation of the Director, Sir W. T. Thiselton- Dyer, for the purpose of selecting duplicate living plants from the Kew collections and shipping them to New York. Mr. Nash will also carry out some studies on grasses in the Kew herbarium.

Five of the papers presented at the meeting of the fern students held in New York City on June 27, 1900, under the auspices of the Linnaean Fern Chapter, have been published by the Chapter in pamphlet form under the collective title of ‘‘ Fernwort Papers.” fiheysarce 1. the (Genus Tsoctesmin New sinclandhaaby een ae Eaton; “The system of Ferns proposed in ‘ Die natiirlichen Pflanzenfamilien, ” by Lucien M. Underwood; ‘‘ Experiments in hybridizing Ferns,’ by Margaret Slosson; ‘‘ Athyrium as a Genus,” by B. D. Gilbert ; and ‘“‘ Onthe Occurrence of the Hart’s- tongue in America,” by William R. Maxon.

The announcement for the fourteenth season of the Marine Biological Laboratory at Woods Holl, Massachusetts, has recently been issued. The season extends from Wednesday, July 3, to Wednesday, August 14, 1901. The botanical staff consists of Dr. Bradley Moore Davis, Instructor in Botany, University of Chicago; Dr. George T. Moore, Instructor in Botany, Dartmouth College; Dr. Rodney H. True, Lecturer in Harvard University ; Dr. Charles H. Shaw, Professor of Botany, The Temple College ; Mr. Anstruther A. Lawson, Fellow in Botany, University of ‘Chicago; and Miss Lillian G. MacRae, Curator and Collector in Botany. Copies of the announcement may be obtained of Dr. Bradley M. Davis, University of Chicago.

Vol. 1 No. 4

TORREYA

April, 1901

NOES ON MLE BOLD: OF WE Sal WarRCG NEA By Henry C. BEARDSLEE

Brookside, West Virginia, is situated in the heart of a moun- tainous region at an altitude of 3,100 feet. Its surface is much varied and presents all the conditions for an abundant fungus flora, which it was the writer's good fortune to study during the past summer.

Many of the species observed were of great interest to a northern botanist ; the Boleti, especially, presenting many forms which are either rare or unknown to our own State of Ohio. In all, nearly forty species were observed. Many of these were common and well known to all students of the group. Some, however, were comparatively rare, and the following notes in re- gard to them have been collated, as of possible interest to students in other regions.

Boletus auriflammeus B. & C. was one of the first species of in- terest to be observed. Like all the Pulverulenti, it is very rare, but as all three of our species were originally discovered in the Carolinas, it was with more of pleasure than surprise that it was observed in West Virginia. It grew by preference in dry gravel high on the mountain-sides, and was remarkably arid, being less perishable than any other species observed. . It is a small plant, bright golden yellow in color, and thickly covered with a yellow powder, which disappears with age. This powder in the younger plant colors the mouths of the tubes, giving them a distinct orange tint, which contrasts plainly with the remainder of the tubes.

[The exact date of publication of each issue of TORREYA is given in the suc-

ceeding number. Vol. 1, No. 3, comprising pages 25-36, was issued March 25, 1901. |

38

This would seem to explain the reference, in the original descrip- tion, to the scarlet mouths of the angular tubes, which certainly does not otherwise apply to our plant.

Boletus Ravenel B. & Ct, another member of the Pulverulenti, was rather more common than the preceding species and almost as striking. It was frequently found with its large fluffy veil in- tact, and thickly covered with its sepia-brown spores. Its slender flexuous stipe was a marked characteristic of the form at Brook- side.

Boletus cyanescens Bull. has been considered a northern species, but it was not rare along the mountain roads. The first speci- men observed was just emerging from the bare soil on the road- side. Its yellow tomentum was so characteristic and its appear- ance so distinct that it was visited daily as it slowly developed, though with no suspicion of its identity. It was afterward found fairly abundant, but always in the clay-banks, along the roads, with which its grayish yellow color harmonized perfectly.

Among the rosy spored species Boletus alutarius Fr.and Bole- tus nigrellus Pk. were the most interesting, and Boletus gracilis Pk. the most abundant.

Boletus nigrellus Pk. was observed in all its stages and differed so widely from the original description, that it seemed at first distinct. It was at first “blackish” in color, but soon changed to a sordid gray. Its flesh, however, was decidedly not ‘ white and unchangeable,’ as the entire plant, when handled or bruised, blackened rapidly, the dried specimens being inky black. Pro- - fessor Peck, who has examined my specimens, pronounces them identical with his species, so that it is evident that the original description must be modified.

Boletus alutarius Fr. grew all summer in turf beneath the same chestnut tree, where it was kept under observation. It is an at- tractive plant, unlike any of its relatives. In its earlier stages it has a distinct pubescence, but it becomes quite smooth with age.

Peck’s two fine species, Boletus separans and Boletus eximuus, were generally distributed on the hillsides, but neither was com- mon. JSoletus eximius Pk. fell far below the huge dimensions of this species as we have found it in Maine.

39

Boletus edulis Bull.,to our great surprise, was scarcely seen all summer. Soletus affinis Pk. was abundant everywhere.

The two species which were most abundant were Soletus chromapes Frost and Boletus bicolor Pk. The latter species was particularly common along the sandy roads, where its dark red pilei might be seen often in large clumps attracting the eye of every passer-by.

CLEVELAND, OHIO.

Me MNRACS ONS THE USE Ob BUNARTA TYiGRO= MUBINIC A OS, IBKOTAUNIUGAIL, IGANG IGUING

By MARSHALL A. Howe

The common cord-moss (/wnaria hygrometrica) figures so prominently in well-known botanical text-books that little or nothing needs to be said as to the characters by which it may be recognized. It may be remarked, however, that this moss grows by preference on moist sandy soil in either open or lightly shaded places and that it thrives with special luxuriance where such soil has been recently burned over. Though the leaves of the living Funaria have long been famed for the beauty and clearness with which their chloroplasts are exhibited, the gametophyte, on ac- count of the shortness of the stem, is perhaps not so well adapted for general study in the laboratory as is that of some of the larger mosses like the Mniums. Yet, for spring classes, /wnarta may be relied upon to furnish material for the demonstration of living spermatozoids. The clusters of antheridia may be recog- nized in the living plants with the naked eye or with the aid of a hand lens. They are of a yellowish or brownish color owing to changes in the chloroplasts of the cells composing the walls of the maturing antheridia, and each cluster is surrounded by leaves in such a way that the whole is rosette-like in form. In the re- gion of New York, the antheridia are mature late in April or early in May. As in dealing with fern prothalli, the spermato- zoids are set free with greater certainty if the plants are kept rather dry for a day or two before the antheridia are brought into a drop of water for examination.

40

But certain characters of the sporophyte, notably the beauty of the peristome and the ease with which it may be made to illustrate the hygroscopic nature of moss peristomes in general, are what especially commend /wzxaria for use in botanical instruction. It is, I believe, a sound principle in the pedagogics of natural his- tory to select illustrative material now and then which is bound to excite the interest and admiration of the most indifferent pupil. It can be readily understood that in its abuse this motive might lead to a selection which would interfere with a proper perspec- tive of the subject as a whole, but, in the present case, the features in which the peristome of Fznxaria differs from the type most com- mon in the mosses are of little importance to the general student.

For the best demonstration of the workings of the peristome, the plants should be collected and dried when the capsules are mature and brown and a little before the opercula are ready to fall, which, in the neighborhood of New York, is mostly in June and July. In this dried condition, they may be preserved indefi- nitely. When the study of the matured sporophytes is begun, some of them, still attached to the gametophytes, may be placed in a glass of water and the student’s attention directed to the un- twisting of the seta as it absorbs the water. Then, on holding one of them in the air a few moments, the seta is seen to twist again. These movements of the seta under changing conditions of moisture were, with little doubt, what suggested the specific name hygrometrica to Linnaeus. Finally, the probable relation of these movements to the dispersal of the spores may be sug- gested to the student if he fails to think of it himself. The amount of soaking required to remove the operculum depends largely on the degree of maturity of the capsule at the time of gathering. The act of throwing off the operculum and the re- lation of the annulus to the process can best be observed if a few capsules are placed in a large drop of water on a glass slide or in a shallow watch-glass. After the removal of the operculum and annulus, the capsule may be allowed to dry and if it can then be balanced on its back with the mouth directed upward, the peris- tome as a whole may be examined to advantage by reflected light under the ordinary lower poWers of the compound microscope.

4]

If the peristome is in a normal condition, it will be found to be extremely sensitive to changes in moisture, responding perhaps to the ordinary breathing of the observer or at least to a gentle blowing. Asin mosses in general, the teeth draw inward and close together on absorbing moisture and execute the reverse movements on drying. The equilibrium of a capsule balanced in the manner described is unstable at best, but it can be easily rendered stable and permanent by the use of various adhesives. Professor Francis E. Lloyd suggested to the writer the use of paraffin for this purpose and this has proved a convenient medium. A very small quantity of paraffin is melted on a glass slide and the capsule is placed in contact with it and held in posi- | tion, mouth upward, until the paraffin hardens. Preparations made in this way may be laid aside for future use. The matured capsule, peristome, annulus, etc., may of course be subjected to further study in the usual manner, not neglecting the important fact of the presence of stomata, which may be found near the base of the capsule.

Formalin-preserved material of Fuzaria with young sporo- phytes is valuable, among other things, for demonstrating the structural independence of gametophyte and sporophyte. With the right kind of a pull, the young sporophyte may .often be separated from the gametophyte in such a way that a micro- scopical examination of its foot will show that the act was accompanied by no rupture of cells. But for this special purpose Funaria is perhaps no better than many other mosses.

SHORTER NOMS

A new HawkwEeED FROM FLorIDA.—Contained in an interest- ing collection of plants made in the vicinity of Tallahassee, Florida, by Mr. N. K. Berg, and received from him several years ago by Dr. Small, is a single well-preserved specimen of a hawkweed which differs widely from any species known to me, and [ can find no plant described which answers to its peculiar characters. In a genus of so many species, and these so very widely dis- tributed there is chance that this plant may have been recorded

42

by some previous author, but this chance is not very great, for the North American species have been considerably studied, and doubtless most of the forms deserving recognition as species are fairly well understood. The plant may be characterized as follows:

Hieracium Floridanum. — Stem tall, stout, villous-hirsute below the middle, over 1 m. high, paniculately branched above the middle, the branches slender, erect-ascending ; no basal leaves at flowering time: stem leaves broadly oval to elliptic or ovate- oval, firm, the lower g cm. long, 4—5 cm. wide, rounded at the apex, subcordate-clasping at the base, loosely villous-hirsute on both sides, entire, with numerous minute glands on the margins, the upper leaves gradually smaller, the uppermost acute: panicle 6 dm. long or more, naked, ample, its branchlets glandular ; heads very numerous, 20—25-flowered ; involucre 8 mm. high, its principal bracts in one series, linear, acutish, glandular, the much shorter outer ones triangular-lanceolate, acuminate or acute: achenes columnar, 4 mm. long, truncate, slightly narrowed above, a little shorter than the brown pappus.

The sessile half-clasping leaves extend down the stem to the fourth node above the mass of fibrous roots. They are very numerous and the internodes not over 2 cm. long. From the character of the achenes the species is apparently more nearly

_ related to HY. Martanum than to any other North American plant. ~ —N. L. Britton.

A NEW ARNICA FROM OREGON.—Arnica aurantiaca. Sub- alpine, low, forming dense patches, the simple monocephalous stems 2—6 inches high from horizontal rootstocks: leaves in about 3 pairs, the lowest broadly oblong, obtuse, the others broadly lanceolate, attenuate-acute, all entire, glabrous or nearly so, except the woolly-ciliate margin: slender peduncle sparingly woolly- hairy and minutely glandular: involucre broadly turbinate, its thin lanceolate bracts about 10, scarcely biserial, narrowly lanceo- late, woolly at base, the margins obscurely glandular-ciliolate : flowers both of ray and disk orange-color: achenes silky-villous : pappus white, barbellulate.

At the head of Keystone Creek, Wallowa Mountains, Oregon, at about 7,000 feet, Aug., 1900, W. C. Cusick. A small sub- alpine species, uncommonly well marked by its deeply colored flowers, and silky achenes.

ARNICA CROCINA is a name to be assigned the A. crocea of Pittonia, 4: 159, in view of the fact that the Linnaean name of

43

_what has since been transferred to Gerbera was Arnica crocea.— ~ Epwarp L. GREENE.

A NEW PANICULARIA.—Panicularia Holmii. A pale peren- nial 25-50 cm. high, spreading by rootstocks: leaves 4-6, scabrous ; the upper ligule 5—7 mm. long ; blades flat, acuminate, 4-12 cm. long, 4-7 mm. wide: panicle open, lax, 5—8 cm. long, rays in pairs, the longest 4-5 cm. long, bearing about 20 spike- lets on the outer half: spikelets 2—3-flowered, joint of rachilla o.5 mm. long; first empty glume hyaline, ovate, 1 mm. long with one obscure nerve ; second, hyaline, oval, 1.3 mm. long mith three obscure nerves : ‘flonet aealetisl oblong, 2-2.2 mm. one floral glume broadly oval when spread, 5-nerved, apex sub- truncate, irregularly toothed; paler while attached, extending to the apex of its glume: grain elliptical, 1 mm. long, base acute, apex truncate.

Near to Panicularia pallida ; the blades wider, spikelets mostly 2-flowered, empty glumes shorter, floret shorter, floral glumes 5- nerved instead of 7-nerved.

Growing in a creek at a beaver-dam in dense thickets of Sa/z, near Lamb’s Ranch at Long’s Peak, Colorado ; altitude, 8,600 ES,

No. 249. Collected by Theo. Holm, July 8, 1899, for whom it is named.—W. J. BEAL.

NATURALIZED OR ADVENTIVE Narcisst.—Mr. C. L. Gruber writes as follows from Kutztown, Pa. ‘I have repeatedly found two species of Varcissus running wild, escaped from cultivation : Narcissus Pseudo-Narcissus (daffodil) and Narcissus poeticus. Pseudo-Narcissus | have found at a number of places, usually on warm slopes of meadows, in the vicinity of gardens; and JV. fo- ettcus 1 have found in meadows, unused portions of cemeteries and on one occasion in an orchard adjoining a garden.”

REVIEWS MycopHaGy AND ITs LITERATURE

Some five years ago an extensive interest began to be dis- played in this country toward the subject of edible fungi. It is probable that a part at least of this interest was stimulated

44

through the influence of William Hamilton Gibson’s popular articles and illustrated work,* and the interest was increased by the publication of the special edition of the report of the State Botanist of New York for 1894 + with numerous colored plates of edible and poisonous fungi. It was thought that the fad would soon die out, but, instead, the mycological clubs seem to be grow- ing larger and the interest in their gatherings does not appear to show any signs of abating. It was further hoped that this wide- spread interest in this neglected group of plants would stimulate some to take up a scientific study of the fleshy fungi, but while a very few have made slight contributions, the many desiring entertainment rather than severe study, have contented themselves to remain mere mycophagists instead of taking mycology too seriously. To appeal to this latter class of readers, four works have recently appeared. That they all appeal to eye and stomach as well as brain is evidenced by their profuse illustration, their chapters on how to cook the delectable mushroom, as well as by their assumption of scientific or pseudo-scientific diagnoses.

Of these books, two may be quickly dismissed. The modest little work of Misses Dallasand Burgin { purports mainly to give the beginner in the study of the larger fungi the results of the recent field experiences of its authors. The ponderous volume by McIlvaine §, while it will doubtless prove the most useful of the entire series because of its covering a much wider range of descriptions of species than any of the others and freely quotes descriptive matter from original sources, is more or less uncertain and unreliable because one is often left in doubt where the quota-

* GIBSON. Our edible Toadstools and Mushrooms and how to distinguish them. 8vo. New York, 1895.

7 Peck. Annual Report of the State Botanist for 1894. 4to. Albany, 1897.

{ Dauias & BuRGIN. Among the Mushrooms. 7.5 & 5 X 0.875 in. Pp. xi+ 175. With 11 full-page plates, two colored, the others half-tones. Weight 15 oz. Drexel Biddle, Philadelphia. 1900. Price, $1.50.

@ McILVAINE. One thousand American Fungi. How to select and cook the Edible ; how to distinguish and avoid the Poisonous. 11.25 < 8.25 X 3.5 in. Pp. xxxvii + 704. Illustrated with 193 ‘‘ plates’’ of which 128 are simple text figures, thirty are full-page diagrams or half-tones and thirty five are colored. Weight, 122.5 oz.—about that of a Winchester repeating rifle. Bowen-Merrill Co., Indianapolis. 1900. Price, $10.00.

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tions end.and the less reliable remarks of the author commence. As awork intended for practical use it is a clumsy product of the bookmaker’s art * as wretchedly adapted. to its purposes as any botanical work that the past century produced.

The other two works however are the ones between which the mycophagic public will be more likely to choose, for at this pub- lic it is evident that their respective authors have clearly aimed. Of the two, Professor Atkinson’s work + is more technical, for it is not easy for the professional botanist to lay aside the techni- calities of his office in appealing to a popular audience. Yeta mixture of too technical science and recipes for cooking jars one’s sensibilities of congruity, seeming to bring the kitchen in too close proximity to the laboratory. The work is admirably illus- trated with photographs in half-tone and seven colored plates. The cover ill accords with the contents and the paper used is of the glossy clay-covered form so common in our time, which serves to bring out the half tones well, but ill comports with fine bookmaking and lessens the prospect of durability. The descrip- tions are very complete and accurate, giving details that were evidently drawn from long and close acquaintance with the speci- mens in their native haunts.

The work by Miss Marshall t is a practical well-written text shorn, as far as possible, of technicalities, prepared to accompany reproductions of what are without question the finest series of fungus photographs that have been produced. These were made by Mr. J. A. Anderson, of Lambertville, New Jersey, and colored

*In quoting titles of books hitherto it has usually been sufficient to mention the superficial area of the cover. As these works ought to be such that they can be used afield, it is thought desirable to add the third dimension so that bulk may be com- puted, as well as the important consideration of weight.

tATKINSON. Studies of American Fungi. Mushrooms, edible, poisonous, etc. Io 6.5 <1in. Pp. vi+ 275. [Illustrated with 223 figures, 76 of them full-page plates, seven colored. Weight, 38.5 oz. Andrus & Church, Ithaca. 1900. Price, $3.00. Reviews of this book by its own author appear in Sczence, 23 N. 1900, and in Popular Science Monthly, F. 1901.

{ MarsHALL. The Mushroom Book. A popular Guide to the Identification and Study of our commoner Fungi with special Emphasis on the edible Varieties. 11 x 8 1.25 in. Pp. xxvi+ 167. Illustrated with forty eight full-page plates, twenty four

of them in colors, and numerous text illustrations. Weight, 42 oz. Doubleday, Page & Co., New York. gor. Price, $3.00.

46

by his daughter, Miss H. C. Anderson. Twenty four of these have been reproduced in color, none of which equal the superb originals, though a few, like those of Amanita muscaria, Pholiota adiposa, Loletinus pictus, and Phallus, approach them. Others like Zricholoma personatum and Clavaria formosa are too highly colored and the defective reproduction of backgrounds in some cases detracts from the good illustration of the fungus itself. The work makes no claim to be coldly scientific but depends for its technical descriptions on those who have originally made them. As a piece of artistic bookmaking the Mushroom Book shows superior workmanship. Fine quality of paper, excellent printing, and plain but effective cover make the work attractive externally and internally, while its clear and simple text is not aimed above the heads of the audience to which it primarily appeals.

In both works are occasional slips of the pen and verbal inac- curacies which future editions will doubtless correct. Through both it becomes clearly evident that the camera is the scientific instrument by which we must attack the problem of bringing to the laboratory the characters of the perishable fleshy fungi.

But after all that is said, for the practical purpose for which these books are intended, namely the enlightening of unscientific people as to what are edible and what are poisonous fungi, none of the American books yet touch the standard * set by the Germans at half the price, where in place of attempts to force science on unsci- entific minds, in place of heavy books adapted best for library tables, we have fifty-six colored plates (nearly all of which are of species as common in America as in Europe) put up in a form adapted for the pocket and for work afield, with plain descrip- tions of the fungi one is sure to meet with in the field and forest, and with no entanglements of rare or new species or elaborate keys and array of technicalities; for after all the mycophagist must learn edible fungi as he learns garden vegetables—by sight —and then eat them by faith !—Lucizen M. UNDERWOOD.

* MICHAEL. Fiihrer fiir Pilzfreunde. 8.25 5.5 X0.5 in. Pp. xi+31. With

56 colored plates with descriptive text opposite each for ready reference. Weight, It oz. Zwickau, 1897. Price, 6 marks ($1.50).

47

CORRESPONDENCE ‘A SIMPLE DYNAMOMETER ”’

In the first number of Torreya, Dr. H. M. Richards describes briefly ‘a very simple machine for registering approximately the amount of energy involved” in imbibition.* Passing over the terms here used (to which the physicist would take serious ex- ception), it is obvious that the force of imbibition cannot be meas- ured by the arrangement described. Dr. Richards has apparently confused the force of imbibition with the extent of swelling. The attraction in virtue of which water is imbibed, being probably molecular or analogous thereto, is not dependent on the number of organized structures (such as cell-walls) involved, but the ex- tent of the swelling is. The scale in the arrangement suggested registers not force but dzstance in terms of weight. To illustrate : If the bottle contained only one layer of peas the scale might register a quarter of an ounce, since the distance through which the pan would be depressed might equal the depression which that weight would cause in the particular spring used (a weak one). If the bottle were nearly filled, however, and the peas did not jam but moved freely upward as they swelled, the scale might register half a pound. Yet the actual force of imbibition in the two cases would be exactly the same, and vastly greater than either registration. Evidently also the result would be wholly different with a very strong spring, an equal depression corre- sponding perhaps to 100 lbs.

The same objection would lie against the use of the scale for measuring the force exerted in growth.

It may be worth while, further, to call attention to the fact that a like error inheres in all methods of measuring the force of root-pressure in decapitated plants when a large open tube is used asa manometer.t Toa less extent this objection applies also to open mercury manometers.—C. R. BARNES, University of Chicago.

* Richards, H. M. A simple Dynamometer. Torreya, 1: 8. Ja. I90I.

f Atkinson. Elem. Bot. 32, and Lessonsin Botany, 51. Here, regarding a device

recommended by Detmer merely to demonstrate the outflow of sap, it is said, ‘‘ The height of this column of water is a measure of the force exerted by the roots.”’

48

«A sIMPLE DyNAMOMETER”’

In reply to the above criticism by Professor Barnes the under- signed would say that it was not his intention that anyone should interpret the method described as a way to estimate the total imbibition force in all directions: but it is hardly possible, of course, to make an experiment absolutely safe against misunder- standing. The apparatus described by MacDougal™* is about the only one which will adequately represent this force. In this method enough seeds are used so that the total thrust of expan- sion is delivered within the range of the manometer. With proper precautions however the apparatus described as ‘‘a simple dynamometer ’’ may be made use of for a comparative study of the force of imbibition in one—the vertical direction. The pre- caution is a simple one, namely that the scale be not overloaded, or in other words that the amount of material used be coérdi- nated with strength of the spring. In common with other apparatus of this type the critical point at which overloading be- gins can only be determined by empirical experimentation.

The same objections as those brought forward by Professor Barnes could also be made to Pfeffer’s spring dynamometert+ or indeed to the common lever dynamometer if the same precaution is neglected. The apparatus described by Detmer f is in effect much the same, and the results obtained by it could also be rendered of small import if a two gram instead of a two hundred gram weight were used on the platform.

It should indeed have been stated that it was a ‘2 lb.” letter scale which was used. The weaker scales might serve for in- dicating force exerted by the downward growth of certain roots ; ones in other words which were adapted to the strength of the spring within the scale—Hersert M. Ricwarpbs, Laruard College.

* Journ. N. Y. Bot. Gard. 2: 39. Mr. 1901. +Druck und Arbeitsleistung durch wachsende Pflanzen p. 18 et seq. Leipzig. 1893 ~ Practical Plant Physiology (translation), 142.

Vol. 1 No. 5

TORREYA

May, 1901

AY INOQIIE ON Wishes IWIOADIDIOIX IOginle INJAeOC WSIS LUTKEANA

By W. A. CANNON

One of the most interesting forms of the West Coast marine algae is the bladder kelp (Wercocysts Liitkeana Post. & Rupr.). This is closely related to the giant kelp (/acrocystis), to the sea palm (Postelsia), to the devil’s apron (Laminaria), and to other forms which are familiar to all frequenters of the coast of middle California.

In these algae there is an interesting correlation between the environment and the structure and certain other peculiarities of the plants. They not only vary in the length of the daily ex- posure to the air, but, in addition, they occupy a varying position with regard to the impact of the waves. The bladder kelp is normally never out of the water, while the sea palm is regularly exposed to the drying influence of the atmosphere, and the other kelps vary between these extremes. The different relation of these forms to the waves, which will be spoken of later in this sketch, is presumably the basal cause of a certain and unexpected weakness of the stem of Vereocystis, as well as accounting for the great mechanical strength of the stem of Postelsia. The exami- nation of other kelps would undoubtedly disclose quite as remark- able a connection between the plants and their individual sur- roundings.

The bladder kelp is light brown in color and somewhat trans- lucent. It is said to reach a length of 300 feet and is therefore to be reckoned as one of the largest marine plants. The blad- ©

[The exact date of publication of each issue of TORREYA is given in the suc- ceeding number. Vol. 1, No. 4, comprising pages 37-48, was issued April 19, Igot. }

50

der kelp grows near shore attached to the sea bottom and reaches to the surface of the water, upon which the larger part of it floats. The plant may be divided into three main regions: a hold- fast, a stem, and a crown. The holdfast is made up of root-like processes which attach themselves to the rock, or to a fragment of rock, and they form a body that may reach a diameter of two feet or so. The holdfast is so securely attached to its founda- tion that, if it is a boulder, the rock in a storm may be dragged by the kelp from its bed to a place high on the beach.

The stem of this kelp is for the most part hollow and of va- riable diameter. Where the stem leaves the holdfast, it is less than an inch in diameter, and it gradually increases the diameter until, at a place just below the free end, it may be three or more inches in transverse section. The stem ends in an enlargement, beneath which it is somewhat constricted, and to the oblong en- largement the name of bladder or cyst is given. The bladder is hollow and its cavity is continuous with that of the stem. The cyst may attain a length of eight inches, although commonly it is considerably less. The wall of the stem, where it is hollow, and of the cyst is about half an inch in thickness.

The crown is composed of two groups of leaves or sporophylls attached to the free end of the bladder. They are entire and leathery, and like the rest of the plant, are smooth. The leaves vary much in length but seldom exceed three feet, and in the plants examined they are on the average one inch wide, tapering somewhat toward the end. They bear, in certain areas called sori, masses of asexual reproductive bodies. It need hardly be said that all of the measurements vary with the age of the plant. Those which I have given may probably be regarded as the maximum in the species as I have seen it. Much larger figures are given by observers farther to the northward.

The relation of the bladder kelp to the impact of the waves is such that it is subjected to stresses almost exclusively of one kind, namely, to pulls in a direction parallel to the long axis. The pounding to which some kelps, as for instance the sea palm, are subjected by the waves seems to be entirely wanting in the pres- ent case. The endeavor of the plant to keep to the surface of

51

the water, the level of which is perpetually changing, and the pulling action of the ebb and flow of the tide cause the free end to tug at the holdfast like a ship at anchor.

A few summers ago | wished to put up material of the “ fruit” of Wereocystts for microscopical examination and for the pur- pose it was necessary to obtain fresh sporophylls. I found a place near the Hopkins Seaside Laboratory where the plants grew in abundance. They were out of reach from the shore by hand but I found that they could be reached with a long-handled gaff- hook. The attempt was made at first to pull from the water the smallest by placing the hook back of the bladder, but I was un- able to get any plants in this manner. Next the hook was used as a hatchet in the hope that some of the leaves might be torn away, but they were so tough and smooth ‘that this also failed. Finally, I tried to tear the cyst in two by striking the sharp hooks into it; much to my surprise the large bladders cracked across like the most fragile substance. I tried repeatedly blows of vary- ing force and found that even a slight one was sufficient to break either the cyst or the stem. Through this unexpected weakness of the plant I had no difficulty in obtaining all of the sporophylls that were desired. It should be said that the plant loses this brittle character when it is exposed to the air.

In seeking for a cause of this mechanical weakness of the stem of the bladder kelp, z. ¢., to its inability to withstand the stresses to which I subjected it, it ogcurred to me to compare the habitat of another form, as for instance the sea palm, with that of the bladder kelp and also the mechanical strength of the former with that of the latter. The sea palm was chosen because its habitat and habit are well marked and quite different from that of the bladder kelp. These will be considered very briefly.

The sea palm is usually about two feet high. Like the blad- der kelp, it has a holdfast, a stem, and a crown of leaves or sporophylls. The stem is upright and quite independent of sup- port from the water. The plant grows on sloping rocks between tide marks. The position of the sea palm is such that it is pounded with inconceivable force by the waves in the times of high seas, and always when the tide is in, it is subject to the

52

direct impact of the waves. There are several sorts of forces thus brought to bear upon the sea palm. The waves may strike the plant at right angles to the long axis, they may tend to crush the plant to the surface of the rock by their great weight, or they may exert a pulling force. And the plant has become a sort of living resultant of these forces.

To compare the two kelps with regard to the mechanical strength, I applied to the sea palm the same sort of blow that had been previously given to the bladder kelp. The result was what one would expect ; it did not have the slightest effect. In addition, I found it quite impossible to wrench the kelps from their station, however hard I might try.

Briefly, it would appear then that the differences of the sea palm and the bladder kelp in habitat, more especially the dif- ference in their exposure to the waves, go far to explain the dif- ferences which the plants themselves exhibit as regards me- chanical strength, and, further, these plants appear to be able to withstand those stresses best which also occur among the condi- tions of their environment.

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY.

THE NORTH AMERICAN TWINFLOWERS By P. A. RYDBERG

In all our manuals of botany, Lzznaea is given as a monotypic genus, consisting of only L. borealis L. One variety has, how- ever, been recognized by some botanists, viz., L. borealis var. longiflora Torr., described from the collection made on the Wilkes Expedition. This is found in the extreme eastern portion of Asia as well as on the American Pacific Coast from Alaska to Cali- fornia, and extends also into the Rocky Mountain region in British Columbia and Idaho. In connection with my work on the flora of the Rockies, I happened some time ago to look up the record of this plant. Asa rule, it is easily distinguished from the com- mon twinflower of the East and of the Rockies by its much longer leaves, especially on the flowering branches. In depau-

53

perate specimens this character is, however, not sufficient. I therefore looked for some differences in the flower.

In the original description and also in Gray’s Synoptical Flora, the variety Zongiflora is said to have a longer corolla attenuate be- low into a distinct tube. I made a comparison with the eastern form and found that the flower of the Pacific Coast plant had a slightly longer corolla, but that our common twinflower had just as much a distinct tube as the other, but I found another character, viz., that the var. Jongzflora had about twice as long calyx-lobes. This character held in all American specimens. How in the European and west Asiatic? Inthem, the calyx-lobes were just between the two in length. But now I happened to make the most interesting discovery of all, viz., that all the latter specimens had a campanulate corolla without any indication of a narrow tube at the base. I then looked up illustrations of the European twinflower and found that the corolla there is figured as more campanulate, or short-funnelform without a distinct tube, while our American plant has rather a funnelform corolla with a short narrowed tube-like portion at the base,.in fully de- veloped flowers usually exceeding the short calyx-lobes. When the var. Jongiflora was described, it was evidently compared with the European species in which case the character of the corolla given above is the most prominent.

Being satisfied that our American twinflower really is distinct from the European, I tried to find if it had ever received a dis- tinct name. I found that it had been named, in 1833, by Forbes in Hortus Woburnensis, page 135. His description is scarcely a description at all, for it does not distinguish the plant from ZL. borealis, the only character being orbicular shining leaves in con- trast to oval. Undoubtedly his cultivated specimens had un- usually broad leaves. There is, however, no doubt regarding the identity of Forbes’s plant and our North American twin- flower, which, therefore, should be known as Linnaca Americana Forbes.

The genus Lzznaea contains consequently at least three spe- cies, VIZ:

Linnaea boreats L., of Europe and west Asia.

54

Linnaea Americana Forbes, of boreal America, extending south to New Jersey and Colorado.

Linnaea longiflora (Yorr.) Howell (L. borealis var. longifiora Torr.), of western America and eastern Asia.

There seems to be still a fourth undescribed species, judging from rather fragmentary specimens from Kamchatka and neigh- boring islands. These have very small flowers and leaves, scarcely larger than those of the common cranberry.

SHORTER NOTES

A Kentucky CoRNEL.—Several months since, Miss Sadie F. Price sent me flowering specimens of a Cornus, which she had found growing on river banks near Bowling Green. Later, at my re- quest, she furnished me with fruiting specimens from the same locality. This material is, apparently, not referable to any spe- cies thus far described, and may hereafter be known as :

Cornus Priceae.—A branching shrub 1-2.5 m. tall, with red and finely pubescent twigs. Leaves numerous ; blades elliptic to ovate-elliptic or ovate, 5-12 cm. long, rather leathery, usually acuminate, deep green and roughish-pubescent above, pale and more copiously, but rather softly pubescent and prominently veined beneath ; petioles 1-2 cm. long, pubescent like the twigs: corymbs 2-3 cm. broad during anthesis, 4-6 cm. broad at ma- turity : peduncles and pedicels closely and harshly pubescent : sepals triangular: corolla white, about 7 mm. broad: petals 4, oblong-lanceolate to linear-lanceolate: filaments slightly shorter than the petals: drupes about 3 mm. in diameter, subglobose, white ; stone about 2 mm. in diameter, scarcely longer than broad, faintly pitted.

On bluffs of the Barren River, near Bowling Green, Kentucky. The species flowers late in the spring and matures its fruit about the middle of the summer. The fruiting specimens I have were collected on July 27th. The specimens on which the species is founded are preserved in the herbarium of the New York Botan- ical Garden. !

Cornus Priceae is related to Cornus asperifolia and C. mucro- carpa. Its leaves somewhat resemble those of the former spe-

5D

cies, while its fruit is more like that of the latter, especially in

size. The newly described species is peculiar in that it bears

smaller fruit than any other North American cornel. Hereto-

fore, Cornus microcarpa of the southeastern Gulf States was char-

acteristic in bearing the smallest fruit, but the drupes of C.

Priceae average about one third smaller and have a very differ- _ently shaped stone.—Joun K. SMatt.

A NEW CRATAEGUS FROM WaAsHINGTON.—Crataegus Piperi. A much branched shrub 2-3 m. high. Bark of older stems light eray, that of the younger twigs brown, the lenticels conspicuous, the branches of the season and the inflorescence strigose-villous ; thorns 3—5 cm. long, dark brown, shining, straight or nearly so, rather slender, somewhat reflexed: petioles 1.5—2 cm. long, bear- ing several glands; leaf-blades broadly oval in outline, sparingly strigose on both sides, dark and glossy above, paler and dull be- neath, incised and doubly serrate at and above the middle, but merely serrate on the cuneate base; teeth sharp and gland-tip- ped ; apex short-acuminate : corymbs 4—12-flowered ; pedicels and hypanthium densely villous: sepals about 4 mm. long, promi- nently glandular-dentate : fruit spherical or nearly so, about12 mm. in diameter, coral-red, sparingly pubescent even when mature.

On springy gravelly hillsides, Pullman, Washington, C. V. Piper, no. 1535 (type specimen in the herbarium of the New York Botanical Garden). Professor Piper writes that the foliage turns dull brown in autumn.—N. L. Britron.

\\

CIRCAEA FRUIT DEVOID OF HOOKED BRISTLES.*—Several speci- mens of a smooth-fruited Czrcaea were found July 29, 1900, when a small party of us were collecting in some low woods, border- ing Ten-mile creek, about three miles west of Toledo, Ohio. These plants enjoyed the same rich alluvial deposits with C. Lu- tetiana, which appeared in abundance.

Careful observation was necessary to detect the smooth-fruited form, and it seems likely that this plant is much more common

* One of the specimens mentioned by Mr. Burglehaus was exhibited to the Club at the-meeting of February 12, 1901. It is interesting as necessitating a modification of the characters of Czrcaca, the fruits being entirely smooth and glabrous. Otherwise, as Mr. Burglehaus remarks, the plant is essentially identical with the North American C. Lutetiana ; it also matches a specimen received by Dr. Torrey from Agardh, col-

lected in Scania, Sweden, and named C. zntermedia, but the true C. zntermedia Ehrh., from Central Europe, is evidently different.—N. L. BRITTON. a

56

than is supposed but is mistaken for C. Lutetiana, which it so closely resembles.—F. H. BurGLEHAUS.

THE MIGNONETTE AS CLAss ILLUSTRATION FOR ASCENT OF SAP. —The garden mignonette when in flower is a suitable plant with which to test the upward flow of liquid in cut stems, and by means of it, when the inflorescence is many inches long, the rate of as- cent may, in some measure, be obtained without destroying the stem. This is because the petals are delicately fringed with white, and into these the liquid will pass and quickly show a beautiful color, whether blue, red, or other that may be used. The fine somewhat spatulate lobes of the corolla will first show the color in the main vein, but shortly after it will increase and become diffused throughout all the middle of the lobe, the outer- most and purely cellular portion being the last to be tinged. Methyl-blue has proved the most striking color for class illustra- tion.—Byron D. HALstTep.

A Rare PLANT FROM WESTERN TEXAsS.—Last summer, when collecting in western Texas, I found a parasite on Dalea for- mosa, which I took first, after a careless examination, for a Cuscuta. But in the winter, when I studied my plants from western Texas more carefully, I found that it was a very different plant and was more related to the Loranthaceae than to anything else. Lately I purchased the Plantae Novae Thur- berianae and here I found my plant described by Dr. Asa Gray as Pilostyles Thurberi (now Apeodanthes Thurbert B. & H.). This plant is the only representative of the Rafflesiaceae in the United States. It was first collected by Mr. Thurber on Dalea Emoryi, along the Gila River, in western Arizona.—HEnry EGGERT.

REVIEWS

Tue Genus Lycopopium: A CRITICISM By Francis E. LLoyp The part of Engler and Prantl’s Die naturlichen Pflanzen-

familien dealing with the Lycopodiaceae * has lately appeared, and

*E. Pritzel. Lycopodiaceae. Engler & Prantl, Die natiirlichen Pflanzen- familien I*: 563-606. 1900. :

57

the treatment there given to the genus Lycopodium by Pritzel is open to some criticism concerning certain matters, both of fact and of opinion.

Under Section V. Clavata, there are given two subsections characterized as follows :

A. Leaves of one sort, shoots externally radial in structure.

B. Shoots bilateral, often flattened. Leaves in 4-8 rows, of two kinds, the lateral flat, upwardly curved, spreading, broadly emarginate, the upper and lower smaller, linear and appressed.

The species found in North America which are placed under the former are Lycopodium annotinum, L. alpinum, L. sabinae- folium, L. Sitchense and L. clavatum. Of these, the first and the last two are undoubtedly to be placed in this category, a state- ment which cannot apply to the other two, namely, L. a/pinum and L. sabinacfolium. L. sabinaefolium has been for many years confused with ZL. Sztchense, but the two differ, among other re- spects, in that the former has a dorsiventrai structure with leaves on the ultimate aérial branches always in four rows, while the ultimate branches of Z. Sztchense are of radial structure with leaves in five rows.

L. alpinum, on the other hand, has a most distinct and easily recognizable bilaterality in its twigs. The leaves of this plant are indeed of three forms ; those of the upper row are “ narrowly ovate, acute, those of the lateral rows thick, with one asym- metrically placed nerve, laterally truncate, acute, falcate, curved toward the under side, those of the under side trowel-shaped.” *

In view of these differences, Lycopodium sabinaecfolium and L. alpinum should be placed with L. complanatum and L. Chamaecy- parissus, the propriety of which is practically admitted by Pritzel. Speaking of ZL. Fawcett and L. Wightianum he says: ‘The latter plants evidently form a transition to the doubtless nearly related ZL. alpinum, to which all these species stand closely re- lated.” If we place these species in Section B of Pritzel, we should then have a series of North American forms which show as many degrees of divergence from a more primitive type.

* Lloyd, F. E., and Underwood, L. M. A Review of the Species of Lycopodium in North America. Bull. Torr. Club, 27: 147-168. 21 Ap. 1900.

58

Such a type probably resembled Lycopodium sabinaefolium, rather than L. alpinum, as Pritzel suggests, for the latter on account of the trimorphism of its leaves and remarkably developed dorsi- ventrality forms a species of extreme divergence, while L. sabznae- folium has afar more generalized form. Of the radially symmet- rical species, ZL. Sztchense would justly claim to lie close to the original form from which the dorsiventral plants under discussion have arisen.

The degrees of specialization seen in the North American con- tinental species may be expressed in the following linear series : Lycopodium sabinaefolium, L. Chamaecyparissus, L. complanatum and L. alpinum.

Referring to the diagnosis of Section B, it may further be pointed out that the leaves of the upper and lower rows are not always appressed. The upper ones in L. alpinum and the lower ones in L. Chamaecyparissus are indeed so. In L. complanatum and L. sabinaefolium the leaves of both upper and under rows are spreading.

Under Section B, Pritzel places Lycopodium complanatum and L. Fawcett with L. Chamaecyparissus as a variety of L. complanatum. The relation of these two last named plants has been heretofore a matter of doubt, but the facts which have already been set forth * would seem fairly to settle the question so far as North America is concerned.+ Here the two plants may be found growing in exactly the same habitat, but still dif- fering anatomically, in external features and in physiological characters. The more obvious characters of the species L. com- planatum are seen in the ultimate shoots which are distinctly plagiotropous, much flattened dorsiventrally, with leaves of the under row much reduced, spreading, and not emarginate. The rhizome is above ground. The spores ripen at least as much as four weeks later than those of ZL. Chamaecyparissus, which has

*Lloyd, F. E. Two hitherto confused species of Lycopodium. Bull. Torr. Club, 26: 559-567. 15 N. 1899.

} While at Kew during the past summer I saw the type of Lycopodium tristachyum Pursh, Fl. Am. Sept. 2: 653. 1814, and find that it is exactly the species separated by Al. Braun many years later as Z. Chamaecyparissus. The earlier name will there-

fore replace the later and another of Pursh’s species can be justified.—L. M. UNDER- WOOD.

59

orthotropous annually innovating branchlets, a much less pro- nounced dorsiventrality, evidently emarginate, appressed under leaves and an underground rhizome. No intermediate condi- tions were found to reward a diligent and repeated search on the ° part of two observers over an acre of ground where both plants were growing side by side in great abundance. One is there- _fore irresistibly driven to the conclusion, no matter what view may be taken of the question of species, that here at least are distinct plants which must be completely separated in order satisfactorily to recognize their differences.

Finally, the authorities for Lycopodium Fawcett and L. poro- plulum are quoted incorrectly. It would appear that there is but one alternative in such matters, either to leave the authority out altogether or to give it correctly.

NEWS ITEMS

William Austin Cannon, A.M. (Stanford University), has been reappointed Fellow in Botany in Columbia University. Mr. Cannon is making a special study of certain features of hybridiza- tion in plants.

Mr. Jared G. Smith, of the U. S. Department of Agriculture, has gone to Honolulu to assume the directorship of the Hawaiian Agricultural Experiment Station.

Mr. Roland M. Harper, graduate student in the Botanical De- partment of Columbia University, is temporarily in Washington, D. C., as special assistant in the United States National Herbarium.

Professor William F. Ganong’s paper, entitled “ Suggestions for an Attempt to secure a standard College Entrance Option in Botany,” read before the Society for Plant Morphology and Physiology at the Baltimore meeting, December 28, 1900, is published in Sczence for April 19, 1901.

A suggestive contribution to the literature bearing upon ques- tions of nomenclature is “The Determination of the Type in com- posite Genera of Animals and Plants,’ by President David Starr Jordan, printed in Sczenzce for March 29, 1901.

60

The annual meeting and exhibition of the Horticultural Society of New York was held at the Museum of the New York Botan- ical Garden, May 8 and g. Prizes to the amount of $700 were ‘offered, $ 500 by the Botanical Garden and $200 by the Horti- cultural Society.

Mr. George V. Nash has returned from the Royal Gardens at Kew with about 1,300 species of living plants for the New York Botanical Garden. Through the courtesy of Sir W. T. Thiselton- Dyer, the Director of the Royal Gardens, further consignments are expected in the near future.

The report of Prof. Charles H. Peck, State Botanist of New York, for the year 1899, has recently been distributed. In ad- dition to the other matter, it contains as usual an important con- tribution to the knowledge of our fleshy fungi. Vol. 3, No. 4, of the Memoirs of the New York State Museum, a quarto volume containing descriptions and illustrations of the edible and un- wholesome fungi of New York—the second volume of the series— was issued at about the same time.

Dhonias Conrad Porter DID ED Ementius Protessor ‘of Botany in Lafayette College, died suddenly at Easton, Pa., on April 27th, in the 80th year of his age. He was well known as a botanist, especially by his contributions to our knowledge of the flora of Colorado and of Pennsylvania. He won distinction in the literary field also, being the first to call attention to the re-

5

semblance between “ Hiawatha” and the Finnish epic Ka/eva/a,

and writing several well-known translations of German poems.

The Departmental Committee on Botanical Work and Collec- tions at the British Museum and at Kew has recently reported to the Lords Commissioners of His Majesty’s Treasury, in part as follows: ‘That the whole of the botanic collections at the British Museum now administered by the Keeper of the Depart- ment of Botany under the Trustees, with the exception of the collections exhibited to the public, be transferred to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and placed in the charge of the First Commissioner of His Majesty’s Works and Public Buildings under conditions indicated below, adequate accommodations being there provided for them.”

Vol. 1 No. 6

TORREYA

June, 1901

Wit Ne wN KROME DO AS) THE ROMANS DO

By P. A. RYDBERG

Professor E. L. Greene has lately published a very interesting article in the Catholic University Bulletin under the title, “Some Literary Aspects of American Botany” in which he criticizes especially the forms of titles used by botanical authors in America. I intend here to point out some misuses in naming plants. If, in attempting to do this, I should myself make some blunders, I trust they may be pardoned and corrected by some more com- petent critic. *

The old proverb, ‘‘When in Rome do as the Romans do,” may well be applied to the use of Latin in botanical descriptions and terms. In other words, when we use the Latin language in science we should always try to use it as a Roman would have done. Latin descriptions such as two which were published in one of our leading botanical journals a few years ago } bring dis- credit to the author as well as to the journal that prints them.

This time I shall, however, dwell only upon specific names given in the honor of some person. Two methods have been used by biologists, viz., the Latin genitive form of the proper noun and an adjective formed from the same by appending -anus, -ana, -anum. Many botanists have agreed to use the former when the person in whose honor the plant is to be named has discovered it, described it or done any other work in connection

* Even the best may make mistakes sometimes, as was illustrated in the article cited above, where Professor Greene misquoted a title he criticized. On page 153 appears ‘‘ Contributions to the Comparative Histology of Pulvini and the Resulting Pholeolitic Movements,’? and on page 157, ‘‘ Pholiotic Movements’”’ instead of «<x * * Photeolic Movements”’ as it reads in tie original.

+ Bot. Gaz. 26: 268, 269. 1808.

[The exact date of publication of each issue of TORREYA is given in the succeed- ing number. Vol. 1, No. 5, comprising pages 49-60, was issued May 22, 1901. ]

62

with it, and the latter when the author wishes to honor some friend without the latter being otherwise connected with the plant. The acceptance of this distinction is far from universal, however.

If a friend happens to discover an undescribed species and one wishes to name it after him, it is important to know how to give his name in a proper Latin form. The Berlin botanists have adopted the following rules: If the name ends in a consonant other than 7, add -zz to the name, but if the name ends in a vowel or y,add -2.* We therefore say Carex Bicknell, but C. Torreyi and C. Fraserit. The only exception to these rules admitted by the Berlin botanists is in case the name ends in a, when it follows the first declension with -ae in the genitive, as for instance Physalis Lagascae, named after the Spanish botanist Lagasca.

The adding of -z or -2 to the proper name of any barbarian language has not come down to us from the classic Latin; for the old Romans latinized names in many different ways, and if they could not give it a good Latin form, they adopted it as it was and made it indeclinable. The custom mentioned comes to > us from the middle ages, when Latin was the language of the learned and every learned man must have a Latin name. Most of them formed this by adding -zws or -ws to the name, so that Des Cartes became Cartesius, Rudbeck, Rudbeckius, and Ray, Raius ; others, however, translated their names, as for instance Bock, who called himself Zragus.

The adding of -zws and -ws in the nominative and -z and -z in the genitive is good, as a rule, whenever the name is not already in good Latin form. It would never occur to a Roman to write Lagascai as the genitive of Lagasca, and the Berlin botanists have seen it in that light, but would it not be as ludicrous in the eyes of a Roman to see the genitive of Magnus written Magnusi ? And still the Berlinese cite thisas the proper form. Names such as Retzius, Hieronymus, Wislizenus, etc., have a good Latin nominative form (A/zeronymus was used in old Latin), and no end- ing needs to be added. It would be worse than grammar school Latin to write in the genitive Retzzusiz, Hieronymusa and Wis- lizenusit. American botanists have, in general, refrained from such forms. The only name that in America has been treated

*If the friend werea lady, -7ae and -ae should then be substituted, respectively.

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somewhat in the Berlin fashion, is that of a German, Mr. Purpus, in whose honor Aviogonum Purpusi, etc., have been named ; but the Americans have satisfied themselves with only one -2 at the end.

The use of -2 instead of -zz even after a consonant has been very common in this country. Watson, for instance, almost always used one -z. Plants named after Dr. Chapman are nearly always Chapmant (one -2) and there are perhaps ten species named Engelmannti (one -2) to one called Engelmann (two -2’s). In the mediaeval Latin names ending in -7zaznx were written with the end- ing -7annus, without anz. The genitive therefore had only one -2. Whether we should keep up this tradition or not is a matter of taste. We have no precedent in classical Latin to follow. There are cases, however, where a consonant should be followed by only one -2 as in Bernhardt, Gerardi, etc., as Bernhard and Gerard have old Latin forms in -ws, Bernhardus, Gerardus. In the same way, I think, we should write Richardt, Howard, Ha- vardi, Bongardi, etc., all with one -z.

Names ending in 7 take according to the Berlin rule one ~z. This is not because 7 is a semivowel and the nominative therefore should end in -ws instead of -zws, but simply because those end- ing in -er have as they stand a Latin nominative ending, and the Berlinese let the few ending in -ar, -zr, -or, -ur foilow the same rule. An old Roman would never have done this. The latter names should follow the third declension, like the Latin words, nectar, victor, robur, vultur, etc. Fendler, Berlandier, Fraser, Heller, Carpenter, Porter, etc., being in good Latin form as they stand, follow the second declension regularly, with /endlert, Ber- landiert, etc., in the genitive; but Bolivar, Victor, Arthur and Muir should have the genitives Bolivaris, Victoris, Arthuris and Muiris, unless the last may be regarded as an exception and fol- low the declension of vr (-2).

According to the Berlin rules, names ending in a vowel (ex- cept a) should take one -z. Those ending in -a, follow the first declension. Why should not those ending in -o follow the third? All foreign words ending in -o, taken into Latin, followed the third declension; and this was not only the case with Greek words, but also those from the Phoenician, the Egyptian and

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other barbaric tongues. Why should we not follow the same cus- tom in botanical names? Ledebour wrote Claytonia Chamissoz ; but Eschscholtz had before him in manuscript, C. Chamussonis. Many of the later botanists have used the proper form. We have, therefore, Aguilegia Ottonis, Cyperus Ottonis, Lupinus Chamissonis, Viburnum Demetrionis, Sullivantia Ohionis. These forms are much more common and of course far better than such as Astragalus Serenot.

But if names ending in -o should follow the third declension, then should also those ending in -oz. Here, however, botanists have seldom tried to follow Latin customs. We find both Avzztonz, Eatoni, etc., and Brittoniz, Eatoniz ; but not Srittonis, Eatonis, etc., which would be better. Besides myself, who have used Wootonis and Congdonis as specific names, I think no American botanist has used a genitive in -ovzs, in naming a plant in honor of a per- son whose name ends in -oz. I know of one case in which such a genitive was used, but the plant was not named after a person. I refer to Astragalus Zionis Jones.

A German may claim that Anton has the Latin form Az‘zonzus, which follows the second declension with -zz in the genitive ; but we must remember that Anton is a German and Scandinavian form and that the name is written in French Antoine and in English Anthony, while most of the names ending in -oz are French or English, and in the latter case derived from the Nor- man-French or formed under its influence. The majority of modern French words ending in -oz came from Latin words end- ing in -o or -onz, both with -ozs in the genitive. I think, there- fore, that all names ending in -oz, at least those belonging to any of the Romance languages or derived from them, should follow the third declension.

The extension of this rule to names ending in -soz, as Anderson, Nelson, etc., is perhaps of doubtful propriety. These are all of Scandinavian origin and have a peculiar history. In Sweden they have never, until in later years, been regarded or treated as family names. Peterson meant Peter’s son and nothing more. If Peter Anderson had a son by the name of John, he would be known not as John Anderson, but as John Peterson ; and John’s son Nels would be Nels Johnson. From the middle ages to the

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later part of the eighteenth century, these names were often writ- ten in Latin. The first Protestant Archbishop of Sweden was Lars Peterson, who usually wrote his name Lawrentius Petri (the word fiius being understood). In Swedish history we read both of Olaus Magnus (Big Olof, so called for his size) and Olaus Magni (Olof Magnuson). In the genitive both names would be Olati Magni. The old way of writing Johnson, Anderson, Lar- son, etc., could scarcely be used in botanical names, as it would cause much confusion, and the names would scarcely be recog- nizable. The three above mentioned would be respectively, Johannis, Andreae, and Laurent. If a Roman had seen Ander- son written, without knowing the meaning or derivation, he would very likely have written the genitive as Amdersonis. He might perhaps have given it the Latin form Azdersonius (-7) ; but never as many of our botanists do, Azdersonus (-2).

If a Roman had seen the name Ames, he would probably have written it in the genitive dis, according to the third declension. It is perhaps safer to latinize such names and write Ameszus (-2), in the same way as Des Cartes became Carteszus (-72).

From the foregoing it would appear that the Berlin rules must be modified in order to accord with good Latin usage, and that the latinizing of proper nouns is a matter that needs the attention of a botanical congress.

AVENE IROVIEDVILIEAY JONT) IsUB IBA INUCIN ZANCIUAAN By S. H. BuRNHAM

A few years ago, while collecting in an old rich wood near Vaughns, Washington County, New York, I found several plants of an interesting acute-leaved Hepatica, and transplanted a single plant in my wild garden, where the leaves have remained con- stantly seven- to nine-lobed. The normal form has leaves with three acute lobes, sometimes passing into Hepatica Hepatica (L.) Karst., with which it sometimes grows, though it usually blooms a week earlier in northern New York. Often, leaves are five-lobed ; but rarely is the lobing carried so far as in the above plants.

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In the Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club, 8: 36. 1881, is a note with illustration of a leaf of the round-lobed Hepatica with seven lobes, which was exhibited by Mr. Gerard at a meet- ing of the Club. He says all the leaves of the plant possessed the same peculiarity, ‘the middle lobe being deeply trilobate and the lateral ones bilobate, thus making an approach toward the leaf forms found in the genus Azemone.”

Professor W. R. Dudley, in his Cayuga Flora, alludes to “forms with five- and even seven-lobed leaves in rich shaded soil at Big

Gully, etc.” In the Columbia Herbarium is a specimen from Lookout Mountain, Tenn., with eight-lobed leaves, collected by Dr. A. W. Chapman. There is also a specimen from northern New Jersey, at State Line, collected by Dr. N. L. Britton, June 6, 1885, with five- to seven-lobed leaves.

Thanks are due to Miss Alexandrina Taylor for the care with which she has drawn one of the beautiful leaves of the Wash- ington County plant.

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AN ALLEGHANIAN RUDBECKIA

By JoHN K. SMALL

While on excursions into various portions of the southern Alleghanies and the Blue Ridge, I have quite frequently met with a very characteristic Rudbeckia. It occurs more frequently at altitudes between 1000 and 1600 meters, although sometimes it may be found at elevations a little lower or considerably higher than those just indicated. As far as its biological distribution is concerned, it is mainly confined to the Alleghanian life-zone and thrives best in such localities as are inhabited by Solidago monti- cola, Gaylussacia ursina and Vaccinium pallidum. So far as I can learn, this species has never been described, but may now be characterized as follows:

Rudbeckia monticola

Perennial by short horizontal or oblique rootstocks. Foliage hirsute or hirsute-hispid: stems 3-11 dm. tall, sometimes tufted, normally simple, occasionally branched above: leaves few; blades oblong, elliptical, oval or ovate, 5-10 cm. long, sharply serrate, sometimes shallowly so, those of the basal and lower stem-leaves with winged petioles or petiole-like bases, those of the upper stem-leaves sessile and usually partly clasping by their broad bases: bracts of the involucre linear to linear-lanceolate, I-1.5 cm. long, bristly hirsute, reflexed: ray-flowers several ; ligules bright yellow, 2-3.5 cm. long: disk hemispheric to ovoid, 12-18 mm. broad, dark purple-brown to almost black at maturity : bractlets acute, ciliate near the slightly broadened tips: disk- corollas 3—3.5 mm. long: achenes 2.5 mm. long, slightly enlarged upward, finely longitudinally ribbed and very minutely pitted.

In woods, West Virginia to North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama. Summer.

Rudbeckia monticola is related to R. jirta from which it may easily be separated at sight by the sharply serrate blades of the upper stem-leaves with their broad partly clasping bases. The type is preserved in the herbarium of the New York Botanical Garden. The following cited specimens belong here:

WEST VIRGINIA: White Sulphur Springs, July 16, 1892, 4. Browz.

NorTH CAROLINA: Haywood Co., July, 1885, 12. £. Hyams; Swain Co., July 12, 1891, Beardslee & Kofoid; Biltmore, June 10, 1896, Biltmore Herbarium no. 852; Hendersonville, June 29, 1898, Biltmore Herbarium no. 852a.

TENNESSEE : White Cliff Springs, July 11, 1894, 7. A. Kearney, Jr.; Lookout Mountain, June 28, 1897, H Eggert; Wolf Creek, August, 1896, 4. Ruth, no. 4055.

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GeorciA: Tallulah Falls, August 8, 1893, 7, A. Smal/; Thomas Bald, August 9, 1893, /. K. Small; Estotoah Falls, August 11-12, 1893, /. A. Small (type) ; Stone Mountain, July 27, 1893, 7. A. Small.

ALABAMA: Auburn, June 5, 1897, Zarle & Baker, no. 276.

DIEMBRYONY IN CORN

By Byron D. HALSTED

In making some germination tests of corn upon a large scale a single grain was met with that showed a double embryo—one

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| Ai Wy jee

apparently normal and the other sec- ondary. The grain in germination was lying with the embryo side down- ward so that the main plantlet needed to turn upward around one side of the grain making a J-shaped curve. The smaller shoot grew nearly parallel with the first one and stood close to it, although much smaller. The grain was transferred from the germ- inating dish to earth in a flower pot and supplied with conditions for fur- ther growth, at which time each plant- let had a main root.

After growing as long as the smaller plant would, the two were removed and a photograph taken from which the little side engraving has been made.

It is seen that one plant grew quite normally, while the other remained small and attempted to produce two ears, but without tassel, and no grains were obtained.

It only needs to be said that the case in hand was a yellow grain from an ear picked upon the College Farm and brought to me, because it was the only one of a large field that had dark,

nearly cherry-colored grains mixed in almost equal numbers with

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the yellow grains. It is regretted that a sketch of the two em- bryos was not made before the grain was placed in the earth for further growth. Out of very many thousands of germinating grains of corn, this is the only one showing diembryony that has

come to my notice. RUTGERS COLLEGE, May 4, I90I.

REVIEWS

A work that is sure to play an important part in popularizing botanical studies on the Pacific Coast is the recently published “Flora of Western Middle California” * by Dr. Willis Linn Jepson, Assistant Professor of Botany in the University of Cali- fornia. This is a carefully written and attractively printed de- scriptive manual, with keys to the families, genera, and species. In many species a considerable range of variability is recognized, | especially in vegetative characters, under conditions which are definitely named. New species and varieties are described in various genera. In the matter of nomenclature, it is not wholly obvious just what considerations have determined the choice of generic names. The nomenclature is evidently not that of Berlin, Kew, Harvard, the Rochester Code, or of the Flora Franciscana. With considerable allowance for the inherent difficulties of mak- ing one’s practice seem always consistent and logical to another, it may be said that Professor Jepson’s selection of names has the appearance of being an arbitrary compromise between the so- called “‘ conservative”’ and “reform” tendencies. The influence of the American principle of “Once a synonym, always a synonym” is doubtless to be recognized in the substitution of Tumion Raf. for Torreya Arn., Osmaronia Greene for Nuttalha T. & G., and Xvlothermia Greene for Pickeringia Nutt. To the ‘‘priority of place’ idea is evidently to be attributed the accep- tance of 7zssa Adans. in the place of Buda Adans., while simple priority of publication is apparently responsible for the adoption of Panicularia Fabric. for Glyceria R. Br., Razoumofskya Hoffm. for Arceuthobium Bieb., Koellia Moench for Pycnanthemum

*Jepson, W. L. A Flora of Western Middle California. 8vo. Pp. iv+ 625. 16 Ap. I901. Encina Publishing Co., Berkeley. Price $2.50.

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Michx., Loleha Raf. for Downingia Torr., Ptiloria Raf. for Stephanomeria Nutt., etc. In these changes from the usage of the ‘‘ Botany of California,’ there is no suggestion of the fifty- year limit proposed by the Berlin botanists and there is little evidence of mercy toward names which, according to some writers, have become so consecrated by long usage as to be out of the reach of modern nomenclatural legislation. Yet several generic names equally vulnerable, like Capsella Medic., Echino- cystis T. & G., and Dicentra Bernh., are retained. But these possibly await modification in the second edition, which the mani- fest merits and popular qualities of the work will doubtless soon make a necessity. [M. A. H.] }

CORRESPONDENCE

“A StmepLE DyNAMOMETER ”’

The discussion of this particular apparatus would not deserve more space, did not the criticism involve a principle applicable to a number of instruments for measuring the force exerted by plants. In his reply * to my former letter, Dr. Richards implies that I misunderstood his experiment; rather, I think, he has missed the point of my objection. I had no thought of criticiz- ing his device because it does not measure the force of imbibition in all directions. The difficulty is that the proposed dynamom- eter does not register correctly azy component of the force of swelling, for the simple reason that the spring scale is not adapted to do it. Gravitation can act through an indefinite distance and the weight in the pan descends until the distortion of the spring is as great as the force acting can produce. In swelling, on the contrary, the force to be measured acts through a very limited distance only, and when the limit of its thrust is reached the in- dex stops, whether it indicates an ounce or aton. The principle is that distortion of a system, however registered, can never be used to measure correctly any force, unless the possible distor- tion is greater than that necessary to produce the maximum registration of the instrument.

The caution regarding overloading, therefore, is not pertinent,

* TORREYA, 1: 48. Ap. I9QOI.

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because, owing to the limited displacement by the swelling, the spring could not easily be loaded beyond its capacity to register, although any component of the force acting is. really vastly in excess of its powers to register in units of weight.

The objections made above do indeed apply to any apparatus not used in accordance with the principle enunciated. But Det- mer is careful to say that his device* is only for the purpose of showing that external work is done by swelling seeds.

C. R. Barnes.

Notwithstanding the careful explanation given above by Pro- fessor Barnes the writer is still of the opinion that overloading from the standpoint of the strength of the spring is, as previously stated, entirely possible, and it seems too that this is the critical point—H. M. Ricwarps.

NEWS ITEMS

Volume 7 of the Contributions from the Department of Botany of Columbia University has recently been completed by the pub- lication of the 175th number of the series.

Dr. H. M. Richards, Dr. P. A. Rydberg and Miss Louise B. Dunn are spending their summer vacations in Europe.

Dr. D. T. MacDougal left New York on June 2d to conduct some special botanical investigations in western Montana.

Tracy Elliot Hazen, Ph.D. (Columbia University, 1900), has been appointed Director of the Fairbanks Museum at St. Johns- bury, Vermont, and enters upon the duties of the position this month.

Mr. Frederick H. Blodgett, recently a graduate student in Columbia University, is now an assistant in the botanical depart- ment of the Field Columbian Museum, Chicago.

Edward W. Berry, of Passaic, N. J..a member of the Torrey Botanical Club, has been awarded the Walker Prize of fifty dol- lars by the Boston Society of Natural History for an essay on Liriodendron.

* Pflanzen-Phys. Prakt. 119.

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Professor L. M. Underwood of Columbia University, and Mr. O. i. Cook and party, of the U. S. Department of Agriculture, sailed for Porto Rico on June 8th for the purpose of studying the flora of that island.

The death of M. Henri Philibert, the European specialist in the genus Lryum, occurred on the 14th of May at Aix in France in his 79th year. He had just added a tenth article to his series of studies on the peristome, which have appeared in the Revue Bry- ologique.

The tablet in memory of Asa Gray in the Hall of Fame of the New York University was unveiled on May 30 by Professors B. D. Halsted, B. L. Robinson and L. M. Underwood, representing the Botanical Society of America.

The third session of the Rhode Island Summer School for Nature Study will be held at the Rhode Island College of Agri- culture and Mechanic Arts, Kingston, R. I, from July 5 to July 20. The botanical instruction is in charge of W. W. Bailey, H. L. Merrow, F. W. Card, A. B. Seymour and G. E. Adams.

“The Sea-Beach at Ebb-Tide”’ is the title of a recent book written by Augusta Foote Arnold and published by the Cen- tury Company. It contains non-technical descriptions and nu- merous illustrations of the larger and more common marine plants of the United States, together with a similar account of the littoral animals.

The entire palaeobotanical collection of Columbia University, and the books on palaeobotany from the University Library, ex- cept such minor part thereof as is needed at the University for undergraduate instruction, will be deposited with the New York Botanical Garden during the coming summer, under the terms of a supplementary agreement recently made between the two insti- tutions. The museum of palaeobotany will be installed in one of the well-lighted basement halls of the Museum Building of the Garden.

Wioleaet No. 7

Ok hi yA

July, 1901

JUNCOMDIES JON Wels, SOW INSIBANSINAIIN (Sie ites) By JoHN K. SMALL

While collecting about the summit of Table Rock in western North Carolina, in company with Mr. Heller, specimens of a species of /uncoides in every way smaller than the so-called Juncoides campestre were gathered and found to be bulblet-bear- ing at the base. Further investigation showed that the same form had previously been collected on Lookout Mountain, Ten- nessee, by Prof. A. Wood and had by him been described under varietal rank, he evidently not thinking it worthy of being con- sidered aspecies. Later experience with the genus in the South- east has led me to the conclusions expressed in the following brief synopsis.

Juncoipes Adans.

Differs from Juncus by its closed leaf-sheaths, the 1-celled ovary with basal placentae which support 3 ovules and later 3 seeds.

Key TO THE SPECIES.

Peduncles terminated by rz or rarely 2 flowers: capsule of an ovoid type. 1. J. pilosune. Peduncles terminated by compact spikes : capsule of an obovoid type. Sepals and petals 3-4 mm. long: capsules much stirpassed by the perianth. 2. J, echinatum.

Sepals and petals 2-2.5 mm. long: capsules surpassing the perianth or about equalling it. 3. J. bulbosum.

I. JUNCOIDES PILosuM (L.) Kuntze. Stems 1-3 dm. tall, 2—4- leaved. Leaf-blades 3-8 mm. wide, webby, blunt and almost gland-like at the apex: peduncles filiform, equal or nearly so: perianth 2.5-3 mm. long; sepals and petals triangular-ovate, brown except the hyaline margins: capsule usually about 1% longer than the perianth, sometimes but slightly longer.

[The exact date of publication of each issue of TORREYA is given in the succeed- ing number. Vol. 1, No. 6, comprising pages 61-72, was issued June 20, 1901. |

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In woods, New Brunswick to Alaska, Georgia, Tennessee, Michigan and Oregon. Also in Europe and Asia.

Luzula Carolinae S. Wats., founded on a specimen from Grand- father Mountain, North Carolina, is /uxcoides pilosum. The elon- gated bract described by Dr. Watson is the upper leaf of the stem and not the bract subtending the inflorescence.

2. Juncoides echinatum n. sp. . Base of plant not bulblet- bearing. Foliage webby-pubescent : stems 2.5—5 dm. tall : pedun- cles conspicuously unequal, each terminated by an oblong or cylindric spike: sepals and petals lanceolate, 3-4 mm. long, acuminate, greenish or pale brown, soft and hyaline at the tip: capsule obovoid, 2.5-3 mm. long, manifestly longer than thick.

In woodlands, North Carolina to Georgia and Alabama.

This species is the representative of /uzcotdes campestre in the Southern States. The following specimens belong here:

* AraBAMA: Auburn, April 17, 1897, Zarl & Baker. (Type, in the herbarium of the New York Botanical Garden.)

NortH Caroina: Biltmore, May 14, 1897, Biltmore Herb. no. 505.

3. Juncoides bulbosum (Wood). Base of plant accompanied by bulblets. Foliage almost glabrous or somewhat webby on the leaf-margins and at the top of the sheaths: stems 1-4 dm. tall: spikes shorter than those of /. echinatum.-: sepals and petals ovate-lanceolate or lanceolate, 2-2.5 mm. long, brownish, acuminate, neither manifestly soft nor hyaline at the apex: cap- sule broadly obovoid or globose-obovoid, surpassing the sepals or sometimes about equalling them. [Lwuzala campestris var. bulbosa Wood, Cl. Book, 753. 1863.]

In woods, thickets and open sandy places, Virginia to Georgia, Kansas and Texas. net

This species is apparently quite common within the range given above, but very few specimens were collected until within the last four or five years.. The following belong here:

VIRGINIA: Summit of White Top Mountain, June 26, 1892, N. L. & E. G. Britton and A. M. Vail.

NorTH CAROLINA: Summit of Table Rock, July 2, 1891, /. K. Small and A. A. Heller.

TENNESSEE: Lookout Mountain, d. Wood; Jackson, March, 1892, S. AZ, Bain, no. 172, at least in part; Franklin County,

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June 8, 1897, H. Eggert; Knoxville, April, 1897, A. Ruth, no. TOE

Mississippr: Topelo, April 6, 1889, S. M. Tracy.

Texas: Houston, April 10, 1872, £. Hall, no. 655 ; Houston, Apnlingy 100Om>) i. busy mo. 32+) Uvalde, March 20) 1801, E, N. Plank.

ARKANSAS: Prescott, April 9, 1900, 5. F. Bush, no. 552 Benton County, 4. NV. Plank, no. 45.

Kansas: Cherokee County, 1896, A. S. Hitchcock, no. 844.

AMSONIA AMSONIA IN NEW JERSEY

By B. S. MILLER

May 23d a friend sent me a small specimen to identify, as it had created quite a discussion at a card party. It was seen from the roadside and picked to match agown. Vanity, after all, is of some use in this world, as it has been the means of establishing this dainty little blue flower in New Jersey. Professor Britton veri- fied it for me, as I saw it was not found so far north and in such a dry locality. There were fourteen clumps of this plant grow- ing in a high, dry, rolling field, rocky and of sandy soil. It isa ten-acre lot cleared for building purposes, woods of oaks, chest- nuts and hickories growing about three sides of it. The plants show evidence of being there some time, for when the grass is mown it has been cut down and old stalks are still on the roots— four or five on some. There were such plants as these growing in this same lot, which will give an idea of the poor soil. Three large patches of Lupinus perennis, and in the midst of one, I found six clumps of Amsonta; as the blue being a much more delicate shade, one could distinguish it from a distance. /va- garia Virginiana, Trifolium pratense, Rubus Canadensis, very abundant, Potentilla argentea, Antennaria plantaginifolia., Chrys- anthemum Leucanthemum and small patches of Prerzdium

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aquilinum. On speaking of it to a naturalist, Mr. Hales, he said it was originally brought to Ridgewood from the South by a Mr. Fuller, who had an experimental garden. It would not grow on his ground, so he gave some to Mr. Hales, who has a reclaimed meadow for a garden, and there the plant was much more beautiful—a large clump, twenty-five years old, fully four feet around and about that high, while what I found was only about a foot to a foot and a half high and not so thrifty. This same Mr. Fuller gave some to the people who own this lot and it has grown in their garden. Now this lot is about a quarter of a mile from this garden where the original plant was, so it has spread by means of the wind or birds. The odd fact to me is, that though it grows in “damp soil” it has not spread from Mr. Hale’s garden, but from the latter place which is very high and dry, this part of Ridgewood being one of the highest parts of Bergen County.

LYCOPODIUM TRISTACHYUM Ip 18s No Jeliivie,

When Prof. Lloyd’s article “Two hitherto confused Species of Lycopodium” (Bull. Torr. Club, 27: 559. 1899) appeared, my specimens, labeled L. complanatum L., were examined with a view to test them by the characters mentioned and several of them were found to agree with the descyiption of L. trastachyum Pursh (Z. Chamaecyparissus A. Braun), Some had already been designated by this name as varietal, and their peculiarities noticed. One of these was the burial of the rhizome from three to nine centimeters below the surface of the ground, considerable dig- ging often being required to uncover them. They have all been found in sandy soil, in woods of pine or mixed pine and oak. The rhizomes and the basal parts of the aerial shoots are pale, being blanched by exclusion of the light. The ultimate branches are numerous and crowded, commonly narrower and much less

ae

limited to one plane than those of ZL. complanatum. The branches by their abundance make a very heavy top. Mounted specimens generally have a heaped appearance, the branches lying upon each other in several layers, while specimens of L. complanatuim are nearly or quite flat. The time of collecting has been August and October. The bracteal leaves and sporangia have been found to be yellow as early as August 2d, and the spores beginning to be shed. In October the sporangia had all become empty. One obtained at Ha! Ha! Bay, Quebec, Can., August 25th, was less mature, the sporangia closed and the bracteal leaves but slightly yellowed. Others collected at the same time were shedding their spores. Climatic reasons will probably account for the later ripening. In the same region the Early. Blueberry (Vaccz- mum Pennsylvanicum) and the Canada Blueberry (V. Canadense) were found to be contemporary in the ripening of their fruit. They grew intermingled, the fruit of both equally abundant on the bushes. In the latitude of Chicago the former begins to ripen the last of June; the latter, occurring a little farther north, ripens in August.

The following are the stations and times of collecting the specimens of ZL, éristachyum Pursh, in my possession: Fruitport, Mich., August 2, 1872; Indian River, Mich., August 3, 1878; Miller, Ind., October 2, 1881; Ha! Ha! Bay, Quebec, Au- cust 25, 1888. The three former localities are contiguous to Lake Michigan, Miller being in the dune region at the head of the lake, Indian River in a dune locality near its northern end, and Fruitport midway on the eastern shore. From all I recall about the Lycopodiums I had identified as Z. complana- tum, but did not take specimens for preservation, I feel quite safe in stating from the impression its habit has left in memory that L. tristachyum is the more common in places where I have met with the two species in the upper lake region. Those grow- ing at Miller, Ind., do not seem to fruit very freely, the shoots being commonly found barren.

CHICAGO, ILL.

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AT EULTE With vA ORIUINNE RK

By FREDERICK H. BLODGETT

A number of young tulip bulbs were planted in November, in a shallow box for indoor cultivation. On January 23, 1901, one of these plants was removed from the soil for examination. The leaf was several inches long, but still tightly rolled, as the plants were kept ina dark room.* From the bottom of the bulb a runner extended obliquely downward for two inches or more. The tip was broken in lifting the plant from the soil, so that it could not be examined. The appearance of the bulb is shown, natural size, at Fig. 1.

JER ue Iie, 2.

The bulb was cut open in the plane of the runner. In origin the runner was found to be quite similar to those of Exythronium. The base of the runner and that of the leaf stalk are continuous, and form a continuous core through the center of the bulb. By the side of this core there was another, much less developed. The leaf portion of this core was hardly differentiated from the

* This was part of the etiolation experiments by Dr. D. T. MacDougal, who kindly gave the specimen to the author.

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common central mass, but the runner was easily recognized as a small bud projecting downward from the bottom of the core. In Fig. 2 the two cores are shown as they appeared in place within the bulb. The smaller core is hidden beneath the larger in the first figure (2, @).

The two cores were united to each other and to the bulb tissue by a common stem or stalk. The stalk of the smaller core was longer than the other, as is seen in the figure (2,4). This stalk, or point of union between bulb tissue and sprout or vegetative tissue is not at the point nearest to the root fibers as is the case in Lrythronium, but is at a little distance from that point. The roots form a compact bundle of fibers at the bottom, rather than at one side of the base, of the bulb. But the runner issues in the two genera (Z7ythronium and Tulipa) from the bottom of the immature bulbs, when produced.

VARIETAL AND SPECIFIC NAMES

iby We, JD), A. COcixaRinu,

I am very glad to see (Bull. Torr. Club, May, p. 300) that Dr. Robinson has frankly discussed the important question of the status of varietal names; it is a question which has been over- looked or evaded by many botanists, with the result that the ex- isting nomenclature is often inconsistent.

I am by no means prepared to admit, of course, that what is | good in zoology is not also good in botany ; and there era cer- tain considerations which Dr. Robinson has apparently over- looked.

Generic and subgeneric names are expressions of arbitrarily- formed groups which have justification simply in their conven- ience. From a Darwinian standpoint, these groups must contain species which are not less related to one another than to species assigned to other genera or subgenera. There is to be, in fact, a natural continuity or contiguity, as with the inches on a foot- rule. But granting this, it is then a matter of taste or custom how large such divisions may be made. The subgenera of one generation or one author are often the genera of the next.

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Species and subspecies, on the other hand, are units isolated by nature. It is not a matter of taste how many species exist, though one might imagine so, to read the current botanical literature. Ultimately we shall have to know how many forms stand physiologically isolated from one another, and these will be recognized as true species. Subspecies are similar, except that at some point the isolation is as yet incomplete. The word variety may as well be abandoned as a distinct category ; but it is useful as a refuge when we do not know the proper status of a plant.

The “form” (forma) is really something different. As I under- stand it, it expresses a phase existing wholly within specific limits ; a result of the variability of the organism, spontaneous or induced by external conditions. I thoroughly believe in the classification and naming of forms, as the study of these phe- nomena greatly assists us to understand the origin of species; but the form is not to be confused with the subspecies or variety proper. I think, myself, that even names given to forms should be recognized when it is found that they represent valid sub- species or species; but if there is to be a distinction made and a line drawn, surely it must be between the subspecies and form ; not between the species and subspecies. This is the more neces- sary, because while we can usually (or at least frequently) tell when we are dealing with a form, it is much harder to draw the line between species and subspecies. The evidence for the status of the form may be simple and positive ; that for the status of the species is negative, and to affirm that it does not anywhere inter- grade with its nearest ally, would require knowledge that we rarely possess when describing.

The trouble about the homonyms results from the practice of suppressing a name because it has been used in a varietal sense under a different species of the genus. This seems to me an un- necessary and mischievous procedure, and I live in the hope that it will at length be universally condemned. The law of homo- nyms is at best a necessary evil, and it should be made to bear on us as lightly as possible.

East Las Vecas, N. M., May 26, I9o1.

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AN ALPINE BOTANICAL GARDEN

In a recent article published in the Revue Philomathique de Bordeaux et du Sud-Ouest, M. Henri Devaux describes most interestingly the Alpine Botanic Garden of the University of Lausanne. This Garden was founded a few years ago by Pro- fessor Wilczek at Pont-de-Nant which is situated at the entrance of the Canton du Vallais, some two hours’ drive up from Bex at an altitude of 1,300 meters, surrounded by peaks and glaciers ranging from 2,500 to 2,900 meters. It is ina narrow valley protected from the east, west and north winds, but receives from the south the “ Thalwind,” a strong current of glacial air from the surrounding peaks, which united with the intense humidity combines to make climatic conditions favorable to the cultivation and growth of the vegetation of a much higher altitude and where such plants as Campanula Cenisia (2,600 m.), Viola Cent- sia (2,000 m.), Crepis pygmaea (2,400 m.), and Geum reptans 2,500 m.) thrive. A small brook traverses the garden which with the intensely heavy dew of that high altitude is sufficient for the watering of the plants.

After many attempts Prof. Wilczek gave up the systematic arrangement of the classification of the plants growing in the Garden and resolved to form “ physiological associations”’ resem - bling as closely as possible the biological and geographical groups found in nature. A Salicetum has been started ; a collec- tion of alpine willows with which have been planted those her- baceous plants that are grouped with them in a wild state. An alpine meadow brings together Gramineae, Pedicu/aris, and their associates. In a wood and along the brook have been cultivated such plants as Lonicera, Ribes, Maples, Ericaceae, Rubus, Prenan- thes, Dentaria, Lycopodium, Selaginella and a multitude of ferns as well as various kinds of shade-loving Orchids, Lestera, Coral- larhiza, Goodyera and others. Rock-loving plants are planted together in an artificial rock garden where natural conditions have been copied as nearly as possible and where Savifraga, Heldreichia, Crepis pygmaca, Viola Cenisia, Poa minor and others of their kind flourish. On these groups of rock a very clear

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demonstration is given of the influence of surroundings and ex- posure on plants. Each group has of course a sunny and shaded side, a dry and a humid surface; and a notable and striking dis- tinction is established between the vegetation of the north and south side of the same hillside. On the south side with fullest exposure to the sun and drought are established the xerophilous plants, Potentillas, pinks, Geraniaceae, Artemisia Pedemontana, Achillea argentea, as well as most all of the labiates. On the north side are the hygrophylous plants, Sarifrages, Rhododen- dron, Mimulus, various Silenes, Valeriana Celtica, etc.

It is thus shown in these few notes that the garden is not only a collection of alpine plants but also of alpine conditions gathered into a small space and easily accessible for study. Not the least interesting and valuable collection and certainly a unique one in its way, is that of the mosses. The region is bryologically a remarkably rich one, and the project has been formed by the Director, Professor Wilczek, and the distinguished bryologist M. Jules Amann, to list the species of mosses grow- ing on the rocks, which after numbering the rocks, will establish a catalogue of the mosses of the valley. On many of the boul- ders as many as forty species have been enumerated.

A. MsNe

SHORTER NOTES.

TULIPA SYLVESTRIS IN THE FLORA OF THE UNITED STATES.— On May 6th, while driving along a thicket in a rich ravine near Sellersville, Pa., I discovered the 7udipa sylvestris L. growing in considerable abundance. Later it was found in the meadows a mile up the stream. Upon inquiry it was ascertained that it had been growing there for at least five years.

At the same time it was reported from Lansdale, Pa., a point ten miles from the first mentioned locality. Here it was found in a meadow, from which it had spread into an adjoining truck-patch, and thence into a wooded ravine.

It is thoroughly established in both localities, and should be included in the flora of the United States——C. D. Frerz, M.D.

oo

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Nocca AnD Cracca.—In the recently published contributions from the Gray Herbarium of Harvard University (new series), No. 20 (Proc. Am. Acad. 36: 467), Dr. B. L. Robinson gives us a ‘‘ Synopsis of the Genus Nocca.”’ He remarks: ‘The name /Vocca (given by Cavanilles in 1795 in honor of Dominico Nocca, professor of botany at Padua) is clearly the one to be employed for this genus by those who wish to apply consistently the generally conservative Berlin Rules. From the definite characterization and excellent figure given by Cavanilles there can be no doubt as to the identity of his genus /Vocca, and the fact that the name was taken up in the same sense within fifty years by Persoon, Jacquin, La Llave, and Sweet, should es- tablish its validity,”

Dr. Robinson’s acceptance of Mocca and his rejection of Cracca are inconsistent ; itis clear that he construes his ‘‘ generally- conservative’’ Berlin-fifty-year-limit-rule to suit his fancy. The genus Cracca was employed by Linnaeus in Species Plantarum, 1753, for six species, all subsequently referred to the later genus . 7ephrosia of Persoon, 1807; in 1769, sixteen years after Linnaeus’ publication, Cracca was used by J. Hill in “ Hortus Kewensis” for C. Virginiana, one of the Linnaean species, so its validity is well enough established. Of course the phonetics of these generic names are not very usual, but if Dr. Robinson can go JVocca there seems no good reason why he

should not go Cracca—wN. L. Britton.

NoMENCLATURAL NotEe.—New names have recently, been pro- posed for two of the commonest plants of the Rocky Mountain region. Before accepting them as they stand, certain questions have to be raised, as follows:

1. Castilleia alpina (Porter). This was described as a variety of what we used to call C. pallida. It was said to be woolly pubescent, few-flowered, flowers almost concealed in uncolored floral leaves. It is, as I understand it, the form of the species found in the Hudsonian zone, hardly specifically separable from the plant so common lower down. Now Dr. Rydberg (Bull. Torr. Bot. Club, 28: 29) calls the ordinary plant of lower elevations

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C. luteovtrens. This may be distinct from a/pzva, but whether it is or not, surely a/prna stands.

2. Trifolium heterodon (Watson). This was introduced (Proc. Am. Acad. 8: 130) as a variety of the plant we used to call LT. involucratum. Now Dr. Greene says this is not zzvolucratum, and proposes for it the name 7: Fendlezz. It seems doubtful whether Fendlerz is a species distinct from ezerodon, but in any case the name of prior date is valid.—T. D. A. COCKERELL.

MossEs OF THE CATSKILL Mountains, N. Y.—The Decora- tion Day trip of the Torrey Club to Woodland Valley resulted in a fine collection of mosses. The best discovery was Ary proligerum, which was found fruiting at one station; it usually propagates by slender, branching gemmae from the axils of the upper leaves. We aiso found one log covered with Dicranum viride in fine fruit and on one old sugar maple gathered Zygodon viridissimus. Buxbaumia aphylla was in fine condition ona road- side bank and on dripping ledges of a quarry were found 4ar- tramia OEderiana, Trichostomum tenuirostre, Homalia gracilis and Lryum capillare. On Slide Mountain at an elevation of 3,500 ft., on cliffs and ledges among balsams, were collected fine specimens of Raphidostegium Jamesu and R. laxepatulum,; Plagiothectum striatelum and P. Millerianum ; Hylocomium umbratum and H. Pyrenaicum ; Dicranum fuscescens and D. longifolium.

Exizasetu G. Britton.

NEWS ITEMS

Dr. Marshall A. Howe, who has recently been appointed an assistant Curator in the New York Botanical Garden, is spending the months of July and August in Nova Scotia and Newfound- land, making collections for the Garden. He is accompanied by Clifton D. Howe, Fellow in Botany in the University of Chicago, and by William Lang, a Museum Aid at the Garden.

Dr. Alexander P. Anderson, recently of Clemson College, South Carolina, and of the University of Minnesota, has been ap- pointed Curator of the Herbarium of Columbia University.

Vol. 1 No. 8

TORREYA

August, 1901 VANISHING WILD FLOWERS

By ELIZABETH G. BRITTON

A number of articles on this topic have been published this year. They have awakened the interest of many readers, caused much comment and discussion, and prompted investigation as to the reasons for this calamity, which, if it does actually come to pass, is as much to be deplored as the extermination of the buf- falo, the seal or the beaver. As in the case of mammals and birds, greed and thoughtlessness combine to do the harm, and fashion and selfishness are the motives.

The New York Tribune of May 5th had the following article:

‘Now that spring is really here, the picnicking parties are in- vading the woods north of the Harlem, and have begun the an- nual’ systematic destruction of a large proportion of all wild flowers within reach. The authorities of the Botanical Gardens are on the lookout for them, and within their own precincts will suard the blossoms as thoroughly as possible under a well planned system; but the rest of the Bronx will be at their mercy, and that means death to many a poor little plant. It is not that these ruthless explorers fail to appreciate the beauty of flowers—they ‘“‘just love them,” in all probability. The trouble arises from their ignorance of the extent of the damage they do, and from an utter inability to comprehend that a flower or any- thing in the vegetable world has rights which the lord of crea- tion himself is bound to respect. Thanks to the picnickers and alleged botanists, the arbutus, loveliest of spring blossoms, has been almost exterminated in the Bronx region. Its delicate pink and white used once upon a time to hide under the leaves all through the northern woods in that part of the suburbs ; now it may be found only in spots where it commands less enthusiastic admiration, The mountain laurel has shared a similar fate.”

[ The exact date of publication of each issue of TORREYA is given in the succeed- ing number. Vol. 1, No. 7, comprising pages 73-84, was issued July 13, 1901, |

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“The most curious feature of this destructive energy is that the plants and flowers so carelessly torn from their homes prob- ably give little or no satisfaction to those who take them away with them. Is there, for instance, a more unsatisfactory flower to make attractive in a vase than the arbutus?- It pines for its screen of leaves; the loveliness that seems 'so perfect when half hidden becomes quite inadequate when pulled out into the glare of the day and put down ina city room. The same is true of most other delicate wood plants. They depend upon the charm of their surroundings.” In 7he House Beautiful, July, 1901.

“Ts there a flower lover who has gone out into the country with a party of young people unaccustomed to find themselves sur- rounded with green who has not noted with something very like hopeless rage the immediate rush on every growing thing in the neighborhood, its instant uprooting and subsequent careless toss- ing aside? Later in the day, before going home, when all the blos- soms in the immediate neighborhood have been destroyed, there is a search for fresh fields, and another spot is denuded. A few dejected blossoms are all that is left when home is reached ; nothing of any value remains out of all the lives butchered to make an East Side holiday. The saddest part of it is, not that the children do it, for that might be pardoned on the score of ignor- ance, but that those in authority permit it without a remonstrance.”’

‘The flower’s right to existence nobody takes into account, or the harm done to the children by allowing them to think that they may destroy life as they choose.”’

And in this connection arises the question of public rights on private property. I know that less than fifty miles from New York, a man of wide and varied culture and sympathies, a mem- ber of a variety of horticultural and agricultural societies, own- ing a large tract of land away from any large town, has at- tempted to plant the waste roadside places and private woodland with wild and cultivated flowers, and repeatedly seen great bunches of them carried off by people, walking or driving by, who did not realize all the trouble and expense he had been to, in order to beautify the roadsides for them and for others who might come later. Manya prized Azalea bush has been rifled before its owner knew it, often thoughtlessly and without evil intention by those who ‘‘just love them.”’

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The destruction of wild flowers not only takes place while they are in bloom but there is another cause which is even worse than picking and that is fire. In early spring, March and April, when the woods are dry and high winds prevail, a match thrown carelessly among the dry leaves will start a fire which soon at- tains serious proportions and is often difficult to conquer, so that in a short time nothing remains but charred stems and scorched earth from which weeds only can derive sustenance. Fires often result, in the New York Botanical Garden, from the carelessness of smokers, and they always start near the paths. |

The same selfish disregard of consequences impels picnic parties to come and scatter unsightly papers, boxes and broken glass, in spite of the fact that according to the city ordinances they are guilty of a misdemeanor and liable for each offence to a fine of from one to five dollars.

These evils are due to thoughtlessness and selfishness ; now let us see what fashion is doing. In the July number of the House Beautiful occurs the following paragraph :

“The rarest flower in Europe, the edelweiss, is becoming scarcer every year, and unless measures are taken to prevent in- discriminate gathering it is likely to disappear altogether. The edelweiss only grows 2,500 or 3,000 yards above the level of the sea and under special climatic conditions. Unfortunately, the edelweiss has become the ‘fashionable’ flower in Germany since the Emperor commenced wearing it.”’

The truth of the matter is that for commercial purposes, the wild supply of edelweiss has long been insufficient and for many years it has been impossible to gather it “indiscriminately,” for it is only to be found in the most inaccessible places. But it has long been cultivated for sale to tourists and makers of souvenirs. In fact, the edelweiss is not difficult to grow in suitable localities, and even in unsuitable ones for it, such as the New York Botanical Garden, it has grown and blossomed for two years in succession, in one of the Composite beds of the Herbaceous Grounds, next to its North American allies, the everlastings and cudweeds. The living plants were obtained from the Buffalo Botanical Gar- den, where it has also been grown, but a succession of hot, dry summers has killed it. In the shaded and moist rock-garden yet to be built it may probably be made to live.

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It would be interesting to learn how many boxes of arbutus are annually mailed in the United States and how near extermina- tion it is at the several stations where it was formerly abundant. We know that at Lakewood there is little of it left, and we hope that George Gould will protect it within the limits of his estate. It is the only way that certain rare plants and birds have been preserved in England, and we are rapidly finding such restrictions necessary. At Natural Bridge all persons are forbidden picking wild flowers. Various places have their fashionable favorites ; in the Berkshires it is the fringed gentian, in Boston the Saddata, at several places in Pennsylvania it is the Rhododendron, Kalimia and Azalea, and New York may well claim first place as destroyer of the Holly and Prizos berry. We may well ask, also, where will the Christmas trees and greens come from in the future, if they do not cultivate the balsams and spruces, and cease the reck- less destruction of ground-pine and laurel. Weare sending now to the southern states for most of the holly and mistletoe and to. the states northeast of us for Christmas trees. _

Before it became the fashion to use ‘ Galaxy” for funeral wreaths, Galax was very abundant in the southern Alleghanies, but now that the leaves are picked by the crate-full, it is becom- ing more expensive. It is to be hoped that they do not “kill the goose that lays the golden egg.”

The custom of filling jardinieres with ferns has destroyed many pretty nooks in Bronx Park and is the cause of endless trouble, as the propensity to take them and ignore the signs, seems to be a prevalent feminine failing. None of our native ferns are par- ticularly suited to this purpose, however, and invariably need fre- quent renewing, so that it would be easy to exterminate any one species very soon, if the depredations were permitted and con- tinued. Inthe heat of summer nothing is more beautiful and restful than a fern bank ; but the sight will not be allowed to New- Yorkers if energetic folk who “‘must have green things about” have their way. Much care has been taken to transplant into suitably prepared nooks and crevices of the Fern corner, the rarer species and varieties of North American ferns and to surround them with beds of mosses and rocks and shade. The Walking- fern has been exceedingly difficult to establish. There are sev- eral stations for this fern within a radius of fifty miles from New

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York City, but the stations are kept secret by those members of the ‘‘ Torrey Botanical Club”’ who know them, for fear that it will be exterminated. This is the experience of a New England botanist who mourns about her losses in Rhodora for March. “We find the ‘Walking-leaf’—to use Dr. Bigelow’s English name for the Camptosorus—but a pretty habit that it has may be the death of it. Growing amongst mosses and other low plants that need but little depth of soil, and whose interlaced roots weave the whole together, it frequently carpets the flat tops of rocks— a beautiful sight which draws the attention even of idle picknick- ers who, not realizing that they are destroying years of growth, find it amusing to peel off these mats and then, without a pitying thought, throw them on the ground todie. Thus they have laid bare the rocks within sight of their walks; but away from the paths the interesting fern is still common.”

In Connecticut the Hartford or Climbing fern was so nearly exterminated for decorative purposes that a law was passed pro- tecting it. We hope that the newly-awakened popular interest in ferns will not lead to the same sad results, but rather cultivate the love of these beautiful plants and help to protect them.

The Natural Science Committee of the Associate Alumnae of the Normal College has been doing a good work, among the children of the East side, in distributing ‘‘ Nature Material,” holding flower-shows in various places and making ‘“ loan-col- lections”’ for the use of the teachers. We quote from the last Annual Report which reaches 1,500 members.

During the past year the Natural Science Committee has done all in its power to arouse greater interest in Nature Study, es- pecially among the teachers and children of the public schools. With this object in view, the following lines of work have been carried on:

First, the distribution of ‘(nature material’? to the Alumnae School Representatives. There have been five of these distri- butions and the specimens have been as far as possible ‘“‘ accord- ing to season,” that the children might come into touch with what was going onin the great world of nature, even though obliged to spend their days amid brick and mortar.

October 12, 1900. Fruits and seeds of all kinds, as well as some of the late flowers, as witch-hazel and fringed gentian.

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December 7, 1900. Evergreens of many kinds, holly, ground- pine, etc.

January 16, 1901. Birds’ nests, cocoons, starfish, sea-urchins, shells, minerals, etc.

February 28, 1901. Budding twigs in great variety, also mosses, lichens, fungi and sea-weeds.

April 16, 1901. Material for aquaria: frogspawn, tadpoles, snails and aquatic plants. A number of maple seedlings in paper pots were also distributed. In a number of instances barrels of labeled specimens have been sent direct to various down-town schools. ‘‘ About twenty boxes and baskets were sent every week to the ten vacation schools.”

‘Through the distributions we reach the teachers, but by means of the flower shows we come into direct touch with the children. Last May the experiment was tried of holding a flower show in one of the down-town schools. It proved even more successful than we had anticipated and we hope to make this a permanent branch of our work, as it seems to be more far-reaching in its effects than anything else we undertake. The flowers are en- Joyed, not only by the children of the school in which the exhi- bition is held, but by the neighboring schools which are invited to visit the show after school hours ; the mothers of the children are asked to come, and if there chances to be a little leisure time the children from the street are invited in.”

It is evident from the above quotations that such wholesale quantities as these must be judiciously selected, or there will be no wild flowers left within easy transportation of the city. One member is reported to have sent 150 fetcher-plants from a bog at Plymouth, Massachusetts! We question the wisdom of gathering either fringed gentians, pitcher-plants or christmas-fern, in quan- tities sufficient for distribution to seventy-five teachers, and we hope the pupils of country schools may be guided to make a wise selection, if they are encouraged to send flowers in quantities to the city schools.

The flowers which may be picked in large quantities, without likelihood of extermination are dandelions, violets, daisies, butter- cups, black-eyed Susan, wild carrot, clovers, sweet melilot, golden-rod, asters, and grasses innumerable. But the rarer, dainty woodland wild flowers, that fade as soon as they are picked

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such as spring-beauties, dogtooth-violets, bloodroot and hepati- cas, columbines, anemone, arbutus and pyxie, azalea and laurel, wilk pinks, geraniums and roses and lilies and orchids, dogwood and viburnums, are far better left to reproduce their kind and add new loveliness in new places next year and for many years after. Several times since our connection with the New York Botanical Garden I have stopped children and teachers who were picking ‘flowers or breaking branches of trees, and have been told it was for ‘“ nature study”’ or for ‘“‘ school” and when asked if they did not know it was against the rules of all public parks to pick any- thing, they almost invariably replied either that they had been in the habit of picking in this place before it became a Park ora Garden and did not see why they should not continue to do so ; or they implied that the object for which they were to be used justified the breach of law. The making of loan collections for the teachers is an excellent plan, and the accumulation of local floras at two or three different educational institutions also will help them. For the children, there are the Museums of National History and Botany and the Children’s Museum in Brooklyn, but we hope that besides these, we shall have fora long time yet, places near the city, where the wild flowers may be seen growing and that the children of the public schools may not only learn to “now them by name and enjoy them,” but leave them to continue their growth. The greatest destruction of all, comes from the draining, clearing and cultivating of wild lands ; and in the vicinity of large cities, by the continued extension of their limits ; this, of course, is unavoidable.

The Metropolitan Park Commission of Boston has printed a Flora of the parks within their jurisdiction, compiled by various local botanists who volunteered their services, organizing and cooperating for this purpose. It was published in 1896 and special localities were given for a number of rare plants, among them Pogonia verticillata, Habenaria fimbriata, Epigaea repens, Kalmia latifolia and Conopholis Americana and in the preface we find the following references to them: ‘The public should be exhorted, if they come across such plants as these, to preserve them rigidly. The true botanist and lover of nature needs no such exhortation.”

It would be interesting to know, whether any injurious results

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have followed its publication, or whether the Boston public has reached such a high degree of culture both moral and aesthetic that no one makes an exception even of himself?

But the climax has been reached in an advertisement which has been printed in Rhodora, the Journal of the New England Botanical Club, since May. It announces that on the Bangor and Aroostook Railroad, there is to be had the “ best botanizing in the Eastern States,” and proceeds to give the names of stations and lists of rare plants to the length of two whole pages. We ask with amazement, where did they get the information? What botanist sold his birthright for a few railroad passes? For- tunately, many of the plants listed are so rare that only the dis- criminating and trained botanical specialist will be sure to find them, and the general public will hunt a long time and not know them when they see them.

Mr. Redfield used to tell the story of Rafinesque that when he first found Corema Conradi, he threw himself down upon it and stretching out his arms, said ‘all that I cover is mine.” It is not always the most enlightened who are the most unselfish. There have been botanists, even in the Torrey Club, who up- rooted plants wantonly and made no good use of them after they were picked. But the custom of carrying “tin trunks’’ has been largely superseded by presses, and only a few duplicates are now made of each species.

The flora of Great Britain is, perhaps, the best known of any in the world; and there is more knowledge among the working people of special and difficult branches of botany, probably than in any other country, Germany not excepted. Dr. Braithwaite told me that he had solda great many copies of the ritish Moss- flora to the Manchester weavers.

But many of their rarest plants have been exterminated by botanists, as shown by the following quotations taken from the Journal of Botany for July:

‘The accuracy in general matters for which the Daz/y A/ail has long been conspicuous, extends to its botanical information. We reproduce the most recent item in the hope that the publicity now given to the methods of the ‘ professional botanist’ will cause him to abstain from this nefarious means of adding to his income.

‘Four of the daintiest of English wild plants are rapidly dis-

ino appearing from this country, and one, at any rate, can rarely be seen outside Kew gardens. This is the Cypripedium Calceolus commonly known as the ‘lady’s slipper.’ It is really a wild orchid, with a pretty yellow flower resembling in shape the article which has given it its popular name. The other vanishing plants are the Osmunda regalis, the Scolopendrium vulgare (hart’s tongue), and the Asplenium viride (green spleenwort), all of which are ferns. Their disappearance is due to the depredations of the tourist, especially of the cyclist, and the professional botanist, who scours the woods and disposes of his ‘ finds’ for a few pence in the streets of the nearest large town.” —Dazly Marl, June 26.

“There can, however, be little doubt that, apart from the ravages of ‘professional botanists’ and the destructive efforts of various local bodies, who throughout the country are engaged in destroying grassy roadsides and scarifying hedgebanks, to the creat advantage of the nettles, docks and other weeds which take the place of the native vegetation, our British plants are threat- ened with a new danger.”

‘“‘T have before me the programme of the Essex Technical In- struction Committee for Field Studies in Natural History. The course for 1901 is intended to instruct teachers in the elements of botany by means of rambles in search of wild flowers. One leading feature is a vacation course of ten days in the New Forest. The teachers are to be accompanied by local guides, and their attention is particularly directed to the rarest species, which are specially named, as well as the places in which they are known to grow. To collect, dry and identify plants is the chief aim of the leaders, who not only urge every teacher to make his own collection, but suggest that duplicate plants will prove useful for ‘special fascicles.’ It seems to me lamentable that teachers should be advised to study natural history by schedules, and to gather plants merely in order to name and dry them. I imagine that they will be worse and not better for working through so dry and barren a course. Nothing shows the want of judgment of the promoters more clearly than that untrained botanists should be seriously advised to pay particular attention to the difficult and uncertain subspecies of the common bramble. But all of us, whether we are concerned with the teaching of botany or not, have an interest in the preservation of

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our native plants. The Essex Committee is simply organizing a raid upon plants which are already near to extinction. I hope that they will fail to discover the rarities which they selfishly covet; their enterprise is, I venture to say, an injury to natural history and to education alike. It may not be too late to get this programme cancelled, and I would beg those who care for live natural history to use their influence in diverting the atten- tion of the Essex collectors to some other pursuit where they will do less harm.”

ON SCIKRPUS KOBUSIUS, PURSH “AND GER aA iay OF TS NERA eS

By EvuGENE P. BICKNELL

A recent article by Mr. M. L. Fernald in Rhodora, 2: 239 (‘‘ Representatives of Sczrpus maritimus in America’) brings to notice a common eastern bulrush hitherto concealed under the species Sczrpus robustus Pursh.

Mr. Fernald’s paper, of much interest in itself, was of particular interest to me for the reason that this same bulrush clearly an- nounced itself to me in the field several years ago, when I was led over the same technical ground traversed by Mr. Fernald’s more recent study, and to conclusions similar to but not identical with those there expressed.

Mr. Fernald’s conclusion is that the new plant is related to Scirpus robustus as a variety, by which term I understand a state or condition of that species or a tendency of the plant, from what- ever cause, to express itself in a particular form more or less divergent from the recognized type.

My own conclusions were that the plant was probably not a very remote derivative, or ancestor, of Sczrpus robustus, but that the two plants had, nevertheless, reached a condition of organic separateness—of individualization—which could be rightly ex- pressed only in terms of absolute distinctness at species. Here was a case, it seemed to me, one of many, indeed, where ex- tremely close relationship would probably refuse to be transformed under any conditions of environment into actual organic identity.

Mr. Fernald finds this new eastern plant to be identical with — the Scirpus paludosus A. Nelson from Wyoming. This being true I cannot doubt that the plant should continue to be known

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by the specific name conferred by Mr. Nelson rather than by the varietal form proposed by Mr. Fernald.

My own observations on the two plants were made near Van Cortlandt, New York City, where both occurred near to- gether in the same marshes, S. rvobustus mostly along muddy ditches, S. paludosus on the open salt meadows or along their borders. I have since found S. paludosus abundant on muddy or sandy flats along the coast as far east as Mt. Desert.

Not the least noteworthy distinction between the two plants where they occur together is in their time of flowering, S. puludosus coming into bloom three or four weeks before its near relative, sometimes being in full bloom while yet its companion species shows not the first signs of developing spikes. I have found it blooming as early as the third week in May, while the spikes of S. vodustus do not usually appear until towards the middle of June. Furthermore S. paludosus often or usually grows in close colonies, S. robustus in scattered groups. My field notes record the following comparative differences between the two as they occur at New York: S. vobustus is habitually much taller and more leafy, mostly with longer and broader leaves and stouter culms ; S. paludosus is lower and stiffer, with much shorter and narrower leaves. It is in fact often extremely slender throughout, and though becoming 6 dm. or more tall often bears dense clusters of fruiting spikes when only a few inches high. S. vobustus becomes 1.5 meters tall, and small ex- amples are usually sterile or only imperfectly floriferous. The dense clusters of mostly ovate, sessile spikes have already been described by Mr. Fernald. In addition I find the scales to be usually darker and relatively shorter, finally becoming more lacerate and the achenes often also darker, thicker and more broadly obovate or sub-orbicular, and the styles shorter. The underground tuber-bearing stems also appear to be quite con- stantly shorter than those of S. rodustus.

S. paludosus has undoubtedly much the habit of S. campestris Britton, of the prairie region, which is also rated by Mr. Fernald only a variety of S. robustus. Of the perfect distinctness of S. campestris, however, I can feel no doubt after the examination of fully matured examples showing a form of achene which in

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greater narrowness and more pointed apex, besides duller color, was unmistakably different from that of S. vobustus.

The purpose of this paper, however, is not to announce a mere want of exact accord in the results of two independent studies of the plants in question but rather to bring out the existence of still another New England bulrush of the S. robustus group cer- tainly very distinct from any other at present recognized. This plant was collected by me in mature fruit August 20, 1898, on the shore of Somes Sound, Mt. Desert, Maine, growing in com- pany with S. paludosus. This plant may appropriately bear the name of Mr. Fernald, through whose critical industry the old genus Sczvpusin New England has become scarcely recognizable in its lineaments of to-day.

Scirpus Fernaldi sp. nov. Rather pale green, from 4—8 dm. high, the slender culms sharply three-angled and striate: stem- leaves long and narrow, the longer ones equalling or surpassing the inflorescence, 2-6 mm. wide, slenderly attenuate: primary involucral leaf erect, mostly 15-20 cm. long: spikes rather pale, short-ovate or finally broadly ovate, mostly 10-15 mm. long, I—3 in a sessile or stipitate cluster and 1-5 solitary, on slender stiffy flexuous or crinkled, wiry, diverging peduncles 2-7 cm. long: scales finely close-puberulent, the lower ones often rather -widely ascending, membranous, acuminate, entire or bifid- or be- coming lacerate, the midvein excurrent in a slender flexuous or _ recurved awn 3-12 mm. long: achene rather yellowish-brown and shining, broadly truncated, obovoid-cuneate, 2.5—3 mm. long, and broad, usually slightly longer than broad, almost equally trigonous or slightly depressed trigonous, the angles rounded or the dorsal swelling more or less umbonate, short-mucronulate and sometimes slightly retuse, the slender style several times the length of the achene, bearing three slender stigmas ; bristles shorter than or subequal with the achene.

Type in herbarium of the New York Botanical Garden.

The pale, short-ovoid spikes, some of them on slender, elon- gated peduncles, and bluntly trigonous achenes, mark this plant off distinctly from all of its near allies.

& WEEPING (CRATAEGUS

By JoHN K. SMALL Several years ago Mr. A. H. Curtiss sent me specimens of a _ very slender Crataegus which he had collected near Crestview in

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western Florida. A year later the collectors of the Biltmore Herbarium secured more complete specimens from the same locality, some of which, together with the field notes, Mr. C. D. Beadle has kindly placed in my hands. The species may be characterized as follows:

Crataegus lacrimata

A small tree 4-5 meters tall, with a single trunk 1-2 dm. thick, or more frequently with several main stems I—2 meters long, the branches ‘‘ weeping.” Bark of the branches gray, often slightly scaly: branches and twigs zigzag, armed with thorns or thorn-like spurs 1-3 cm. long: leaves numerous; blades firm or leathery, cuneate-spatulate, 1-2 cm. long, or rarely slightly longer, predominately truncate or rounded at the apex or often a few of them merely blunt or acutish, toothed mainly at the apex or above the middle, with a minute dark gland terminating each tooth, 3-nerved, glabrous at least when mature, cuneately narrowed into slender finely pubescent petioles: corymbs 2—4- flowered, or sometimes developing a single flower: pedicels 8-13 mm. long, glabrous at least in age, occasionally bearing a few linear-filiform deciduous scales: hypanthium turbinate, the lower part even, the upper and more spreading part ridged: sepals 2.5-3 mm. long, about as long as the hypanthium, lanceolate or triangular-lanceolate from a triangular or more dilated base, en- tire, glabrous, with reddish or brownish tips, early and per- manently recurving: petals 5, white, suborbicular, 5-6 mm. broad: stamens normally 20; anthers yellowish, about I mm. long: pomes pyriform when young, becoming globose or nearly so at maturity, yellow, orange or orange-red, with a thin but succulent flesh, crowned with a short neck representing the re- mains of the top of the hypanthium: mature carpels usually 3, minutely roughened, 5-6 mm. long and nearly as broad.

Along streams in pine woods, near Crestview, Florida.

Crataegus lacrimata is most closely related to C. /epfida and like it has drooping branches with relatively short internodes ; but C. lepida is a small thorny shrub seldom over 1 meter tall ; it also differs in the glabrous or glabrate foliage and inflorescence and in the longer narrower and more attenuate bases of the leaf- blades. Crataegus lepida bears leaves with obovate, orbicular- ovate or nearly orbicular blades which at the time of unfolding are both pubescent and glandular, while the pedicels and hypan- thium are tomentose during anthesis, whereas in the case of C.

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lacrimata the twigs are glabrous or nearly so, the leaves with their narrow blades only slightly if at all pubescent, except on the petioles, and not glandular, while the pedicels and the hypanthium are glabrous. The types pecimens (Biltmore Herbarium no. B 17 and B 969) are in the Herbarium of the N. Y. Botanical Garden.

The plants flower during the first half of April, good flower- ing specimens having been collected on April 8, 1899, while the fruits ripen after the middle of August and have fallen, usually before the first of September.

REVIEWS

Seed Plants*

The first part of the ‘Morphology of Spermatophytes”’ deals with the Gymnosperms alone, and is presented as the outgrowth of a course of lectures and laboratory work at Chicago Uni- versity. A chapter is devoted to each of the four orders, Cycadales, Ginkgoales, Coniferales and Gnetales. In the sec- tions of these chapters on vegetative organs there are a number of half-tone habit illustrations from photographs but the majority of original illustrations are those of the development of the ovule and pollen grain in Puzus Laricio by Chamberlain.

The chapter on the Conifers is naturally the most detailed, both from the present importance of the group in the temperate zone, and since more morphological and cytological work has been done on it. The Gnetales are treated purely from com- parison of literature owing to difficulty in obtaining material. The internal treatment of each group is what one would expect, dealing first with the vegetative organs including a limited amount of anatomy, more especially of the stem. The spore- producing members, the gametophytes and the embryo are the other sections of these four chapters. One realizes in comparing the review of the embryology of the four groups how much work is still to be done in tracing the stages of the development of the critical regions of the embryo itself. The authors have, it seems, not added to our knowledge on this point. The question of the possible homologies of the ovuliferous scale and bract is considered at some length and a working decision given in favor

* Coulter, John M., and Chamberlain, Charles J. Morphology of Spermato- phytes. Part I. Gymnosperms, 8vo., pp. x +188. D. Appleton & Co., N. Y., Ig0I. Price, $1.75.

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of regarding the scale as a carpel rather than with Celakovsky, as an outer integument.

The remaining four chapters of the book are a comparative summary of those preceding, with two devoted respectively to fossil gymnosperms and geographical distribution. The fossil forms are treated practically from the standpoint of Scott and there are new illustrations of Cycadeoidea from the preparations of Wieland, of Yale. One looks perhaps for a rather more thorough treatment of the intermediate group of Cycadofilices from which, according to the authors, the cycads are derived through the Bennettitales, while the Ginkgoales and Coniferales originate through the Cordaitales. This phylogeny looks to the Filicales as the ancestral group of the Gymnosperms because of the close similarity of the Cycads and Cycadofilices.

The book serves as a very convenient and up to date summary of the literature of the subject; a separate bibliography is given for the five more important chapters and a complete bibliography at the end of the book. The references from the text are made, however, by numbers corresponding to the chapter bibliography, which is not as convenient for the reader as footnotes ; and the chronological arrangement of even the shorter bibliographies seems unnecessary. The half-tone illustrations are not always as satisfactory as the older line work especially for anatomical reproductions (see Fig. 47), or for such morphological details as the seedling leaf forms (Fig. 42), of which the arrangement as a whole is excellent. The book undoubtedly provides a useful and concise review of the present knowledge of Gymnosperms.—

Louise B. Dunn. Practical Text-Book of Plant Physiology. By D. T. Macpoucat,

Ph.D. Longmans, Green & Co., Ig01.

In this text-book the author departs somewhat from the usual arrangement of the subject found in the majority of plant phys- iologies. In the opening chapter on the “‘ Nature and Relations of an Organism” are found excellently clear and concise defini- tions of such phenomena as rigor, irritability, tonicity, etc., which must be of great service to the student in forming a definite conception of these underlying and often not properly understood principles of plant physiology. Following this chapter are sev- eral on the relation of plants to various external agents. In the

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first of these, the ‘‘ Relation of Plants to Mechanical Forces,”’ is found a very full treatment of experiments which have to do with contact stimuli—more particularly by the curling of tendrils— on which the author himself has already done much work.

The third chapter, entitled “Influence of Chemicals upon Plants,” treats of this subject in its broadest aspect, including a full list of experiments on the toxic action of various salts. The title of this section may possibly be open to criticism by some, owing to the somewhat limited field which the term “‘ chemicals” covers, in its common, though perhaps not correct, usage.

In the relation of plants to the influence of water, gravity, temper- ature, electricity and light is found the subject of the next five chap- ters. Inthe consideration of the influence of light the author treats it from the interesting standpoint of light as a stimulating rather than as a retarding agent in the matter of phototropic effects.

Chapter nine deals with the “‘ Composition of the Body,”’ or, in other words, with the substances found in plants. Following this the ‘‘ Exchanges and Movements of Fluids,” including osmosis, the transpiration current, etc., are taken up, while ‘ Nutritive Metabolism ”’ is not introduced until the eleventh chapter.

In connection with this we find the subject of the next chapter is ‘‘ Respiration, Fermentation, and Digestion.” Under the last-

named head fall the experiments with enzymes which are very -

complete and practical.

The phenomena of growth in itself, aside from the growth at- tending curvatures, is kept until almost the last, perhaps that they may be contrasted and compared with those of reproduction, which is very fittingly the final chapter of the book. An appendix of chemical and physical tables and a copious index is included.

Throughout the book we find a clear cut and concise style which to the student will prove a great boon. Particularly are the opening sections of each chapter to be mentioned ; they serve to properly orient the reader on what is to follow. When the immense ground to be covered is considered, the very complete list of experiments can but prove satisfactory and almost always well chosen. Several new contrivances, among which is a pre- cision auxanometer, will recommend themselves to the experi- menter. H. M. Ricuarps.

i” ‘

Vole | No. 9

TORREYA

September, 1901

DISTRIBU LION OF RPTEROSRORA By D. T. MAcDouGAL

Pine Drops (Pterospora Andromedea Nutt.) ranges over a region extending from Mexico northward through California and the -Rocky Mountain district into British Columbia, appearing east of - the Mississippi River in Michigan, and ranging eastward and also southward along the Alleghany Mountains. These two ap- ‘parently separate areas are probably joined by a belt extending westward through Canada above the headwaters of the Missis- - sippi.. The plant is an inhabitant of the pine or transition zone, and its climatal relations are indicated by its limits in southern Arizona, where it occurs only at elevations between 7,000 and 8,000 feet.

In the course of some recent studies on the physiology of this symbiotic saprophyte (Annals of Botany, 1899) the author was unable to obtain living specimens from eastern United States, and from facts given by correspondents and brought to light by the author, it was concluded that this species was moving toward ex- tinction. It has become extremely rare east of the Mississippi River.: not more than a dozen specimens were found in Arizona in a region three hundred miles long, and not a score have been seen in northern Idaho in two seasons’ work in collecting.

During the present season, however, the writer has traversed the Mission Mountains as a member of the Biological Expedition from the University of Montana, and met this plant in great abundance. It is found at altitudes of 3,000 to 4,000 feet in the rich humus of coniferous woods, and at one place east of the southern end of Flathead Lake a hundred stalks were counted within a radius of thirty feet of the observer, and many thousands

[The exact date of publication of each issue of TORREYA is given in the succeed- ing number. Vol. 1, No. 8, comprising pages 85-100, was issued August 23, 1901. ]

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were seen in the course of a day’s walk. The plant probably at- tains its greatest density of distribution in this locality.

The plant derives all its food material from humus by the aid of a fungus living in the roots, which form a small compact mass no larger than a golf ball. Any disturbance or departure from the conditions offered by a primitive forest would be detrimental to the growth and development of both the Prerospora and the fungus with which it is allied. It will, therefore, probably become extinct in eastern United States, but will retain its foothold among the western mountains until its habitats are ravaged by fire, or by clearing of the forest.

In its habitat in the Mission Mountains, Prerospora occurs more abundantly in a given locality than any other known chlorophylless seed plant.

TWO