voL. Iv.] Writings of Edward L. Greene. 99 
description one cannot be certain even that it belongs to 
Amarantus. 
Euphorbia Benedicta Greene is E. misera Benth. 
Euphorbia velutina * Greene is £. tomentulosa Wats. 
E. Parishic+ Greene, described as ‘ suffrutescent”? and as 
having ‘‘ the aspect of £. polycarpa, but the peculiar flowers of 
that very dissimilar species, Z. oced/ata, which is annual, with 
much larger, veiny leaves and round oval seeds,’’ has in the 
typical specimen no root. Mr. Parish, who collected it, writes: 
‘“My own specimen is reduced by repeated division to a mere 
fragment but the root remains and is plainly annual.” 
In “West American Oaks” Mr. Greene by the information 
gained in one hasty trip, made at such a season of the year 
as to furnish him neither flowers not mature fruit, reached con- 
clusions the opposite of those held by Engelmann, which were 
the result of several seasons of field study and of a great mass of 
material from all parts of the country sent in answer to his call. 
Further study by botanists without the mania for new species 
which characterizes Mr. Greene is much more apt to reduce than 
increase the number recognized by Engelmann. 
The white oak of the southern part of California was consid- 
ered by Engelmann to belong to QO. oblongifolia. Mr. Greene 
separates it as a species, under the name Q. Engelmanni Greene. 
As Mr. Greene’s figures sufficiently show, Quercus Doug- 
lastti WH. & A. as it goes south runs into forms which are 
differently placed by botanists either in QO. Douglasié or in Q. 
oblong tfolia (Q. Engelmann), and the first duty of an investigator 
of our oaks is to show that they are not northern and southern 
forms of the same species. In a climate like that of California 
the question of deciduous or persistent leaves makes very little 
showing in the matter. 
Quercus McDonaldi Greene if ‘separable from Q. oblongifolia 
cannot be held distinct from forms of Q. undulata Torr. such for 
instance as the one taken up by Mr. Greene under the name 
Quercus venustula. 
Quercus McDonald? vat. elegantula Greene was admitted by 
* Bull. Cal. Acad. ii, 57. 
+ Bull. Cal. Acad. ii, 56. 
