VOL. I1.] Recent Literature. 177 
fully agree with him, that the self-fertilization of flowers has been 
too much neglected in hunting for possible fertilization by means of 
insects. Among the species in which he considers that fertilization 
without the aid of insects is the rule, he mentions Lepachys pinnata, 
Bidens frondosa, Portulaca pilosa, Cuphea Zimpani and Lopezia 
coronata, 
A comparative Study of the Styles of Composite, with four plates. 
By J. S. CHAMBERLAIN. Bull. Torr. Club, xviii, No. 7. The 
styles of fifty-five species, representing nearly as many genera and 
the principal tribes of our Composite, are here studied and figured 
with the hope of inducing teachers to use more generally the char- 
acters they furnish, in separating tribes. The work seems to be 
carefully done, but only one species, as a rule, being studied in each 
genus, the author fails to notice the often great variation in this re- 
spect among the species of many genera. 
Contributions from the U. S. National Herbarium, vol. i, No. 1. 
Manual of the Phanerogams and Pteridophytes of Western Texas. 
Part 1, Polypetale. By Joun M. Courter. This is the first 
part of a manual intended to include all Texan plants west of the 
ninety-seventh meridian. It is based mainly on the collections and 
investigations of Mr. G. C. Nealley of Houston, Texas. The com- 
pleted work will be a great convenience to anyone wishing to know 
something of the distribution of plants in that region. 
Contributions from U. S. National Museum, vol.i, No. iv. List 
of Plants collected by Dr. Edward Palmer in 1890 in Western 
Mexico and Arizona—1, Alamos, 2, Arizona. By J. N. Rose. The 
collection to which this paper relates includes Nos. 276-751, with 
ten plates, greatly enhancing the value of the work, which con- 
tains many new species, as well as the usual field notes made by 
the indefatigable collector. 
Botanical Gazette, May, 1891. On Raised Peatbogs in New 
- Brunswick: W. F. Ganong. Notes on the Flora of the St. Croix 
Region (concluded): E. J. Hill. A visit to the West Indies: A. S. 
Hitchcock. Notes on the Apical Growth of Liverworts (with plate 
xiii): David M. Mottier. New Grasses, (Orcuttia Greenii, Era- 
 grostis spicata, Muhlenbergia Alamosa, Calamagrostis densus, Cal- 
amagrostis kelerioides ): George Vasey. 
June, 1891. Abnormal Phyllotactic Conditions as shown by the 
