92 
‘silky fringes. ‘Spikelets racemosé-panicled, about ten in'n 
and each about 5-flowered. Florets with a very conspicuous t 
of silky hairs at the base. Outer palea with rather numerous long — 
hairs on its surface, about half the length of its awn, its teethlong — 
and slender and awn-like ; awn setaceous, slightly bent sideways, — 
or often erect, pale at the twisted base, not twisted towards the 
apex. Branches of the panicle about five in number, the lowest one — 
usually deflexed in fruit, the second one widely spreading, the rest 
erect. sh: 
Found growing abundantly, side by side with .D. spicata, in open 
‘places in woods, near Little Falls, New York, in July, 1868, and — 
August, 1869. It has also been found in Pennsylvania (Portér), — 
and New England (H. G. Jesup). tud. om aon) 
', D. spicata, Beauv.—Differs from D. Alleni in its much smaller size, 
simple culms, and in the branches of the panicle not subtended by 
bracts ; from D. compressa in its straight and erect culms, an¢ 
much, shorter leaves ; from both in its usually (not always!) — 
terete culms ; more or less hairy and at length convolute leaves — 
with the ligule shorter fringed ; in its spiked-panicle with the” 
branches all erect-appressed in fruit; in the much shorter and “ 
fewer hairs at the base of the flower and usually on the back of the — 
outer palea ; in the outer palea being furnished with a much 
shorter and stouter awn, which is strongly bent to one side, dark 
colored at the strongly twis base, more or less twisted to the 
apex, and rather more coarsely and distinctly scabrous ; the teeth 
of the outer palea are also shorter, often very short and obtuse.” 
_. D. sericea, Nutt.—Is readily distinguished from all the preceding by 
its much larger glumes and much more hairy flowers. ‘In general 
habit it. resembles D. spicata very much, but, besides the above-me?, 
tioned characters, it is more robust, the leaves are more hairy, and : 
the awn and teeth of the lower palea are much longer. . 
pi sheik aadetusslaa a aot’ | *  C. F. Aust. 
“95, Popular Seience—It. is a good sign that publishers are seeking — 
to feed the growing appetite for scientific knowledge, but it 15% — 
great mistake to publish books professing to impart information, — 
unless the writer or translator has some knowledge to impart. ‘ke 
friend ‘sends us some criticisms, a few, at least, of which we thivk 
it proper to print in the Butieri, as the book to which they refet — 
was introduced by it into good company. |. ie es 
“Wonders of Vegetation, translated by Schele De Vere,” noticed in the 
' last number of the Butieriw among the new books belonging to the 
Herbarium Library, seems to be a work. rather out of place wher? 
itis, and, perhaps, better adapted to the Zodiacal botany of the ag” 
cultural department, or for the private libraries of the extra meD- 
recount remarkable wonders of vegetation, e. g., p. 123: “ It is her 
[Tanjourra] especially, that the Asclepias gigantea is found gt 
_ Ing ; @ prickly acacia covered with a number of exuberant lanes 
‘Pp. 243, 244 : “ Vallisneria spiralis,” * * * “the marvellous phe! 
