1913] Book Review 223 
of the families into small genera further than many of us consider 
necessary or desirable, and in a few cases we are inclined to interpret 
more literally than was probably intended, and heartily to subscribe 
to, the author's statement (introduction, p. vii) that ^ ....a number of 
genera have been separated or distinguished from their congeners." 
Much of the recent tendency to subdivide genera has no basis what- 
ever in sound scholarship. It is typical of the whole movement that 
Dr. Britton should accept as one of the key characters for separating 
Raimannia and Anogra “ovules and seeds in 2 rows" as opposed to 
“ovules and seeds in 1 row” and yet let his flora pass through two 
editions with illustrations showing exactly the opposite condition 
(v. figures of Raimannia laciniata and Anogra coronopifolia). Again, 
one of the key characters for Galpinsia is “stigma disk-like, entire.” 
Unless our eyes deceive us (for the illustration is somewhat ambiguous) 
Galpinsia interior is figured with a four-lobed stigma. Furthermore, 
if Kneiffia can be keyed out of Onagra, Oenothera, Anogra, ete., by 
having the alternate stamens longer, why do the figures show them 
all alike in length? The reviewer does not care to express any opinion 
as to the validity of the genera which have been segregated from 
Oenothera, but points out these inconsistencies merely in order to 
show that we are not justified in reposing any great confidence in the 
finality of generic lines in the cases of these minor groups, which by 
most taxonomists of worldwide outlook are treated merely as subgen- 
era or sections, unless their sponsors can make out for them far stronger 
claims as genera than is done in the Illustrated Flora. 
The figures of the old Illustrated Flora have been retained in the 
new edition with a few exceptions. The problematic figure of Alisma 
tenellum has happily disappeared and is replaced by an excellent one 
under the altered name of Helianthium parvulum. The figure which 
passed for Picea mariana in the first edition now illustrates P. rubens 
(= P. rubra), the old figure of P. rubra has dropped out, and there is a 
new figure for P. mariana. The only striking change in the appear- 
ance of the new edition is due to the nonconformity of the newly 
inserted figures. The old ones, although drawn by several artists 
and of widely varying merit were certainly remarkably uniform. 
Some of the new illustrations are very much better, some unfortu- 
nately not so good; and perhaps, because of their freshness, the new 
figures stand out conspicuously on the pages. Some of them are 
truly excellent, notably those of the added species in Paspalum, 
Panicum and Cenchrus. Some of the less successful are those of the 
Juncus tenuis group and Isoétes. The newly figured species of Isoétes 
are I. hieroglyphica and I. Gravesti. The spore drawings of the former 
are exceedingly crude; while the putative spores in the figure of the 
latter must be seen to be appreciated. The new drawings of several 
Junci are as unconvincing to a student of the group as those of Isoétes. 
The illustrations in the group of Juncus tenuis are particularly un- 
satisfactory, for not only do the new figures mostly fail to show the 
