84 



F 



Strictly dioecious, and therefore did not look for polygamous or 

 monoecious plants. The collection of one of the latter, was purely 

 accidental, and was not observed until I got home. A more careful 

 examination on the spot, may show that monoecious and polygamous 

 forms are more common than I found them. 



216 So, 15th Street, Philadelphia, Charles E. Smith. 



Notes from Massachusetts, — During the present spring I have 

 examined a large number of the plants of Symplocarpus foetiduSy 

 Salisb., with a view to observing malformations, with the following 

 result. More than a dozen spathes were found which contained a 

 second spathe within the outer one. Their relative positions varied, 

 In some specimens the inner spathe opened in the same direction as 

 the outer, in others it faced directly opposite, and in others it occu- 

 pied intermediate positions between these. Each specimen contained 

 a perfect spadix. All the spathes in one cluster (8) presented this 

 change. Several specimens were found which were perfectly 

 normal with the exception that the spadix was abortive, very minute 

 and imperfect. One had no trace whatever of a spadix- Inciden- 

 tally it was noted that the flowers were much frequented by our com- 

 mon honey-bees. Indeed, with one or two accidental exceptions, I 

 have noticed no other insects about them. 



Prof. Bailey's observation on the lack of male flowers in the 

 alders this spring finds abundant confirmation in this locality. The 

 peculiar season seems to have worked confusion among our spring 

 flowers. The rare Nardosmia palmata, Hook., found at a single sta- 

 tion in this region, has this season almost wholly failed to put forth 

 flowers. Not half a dozen specimens have been collected where 

 usually hundreds are found, although quantities of the palmate 

 leaves testify to the vitality of the roots. 



Amherst, Mass., May 5th, 1882. Winthrop E. Stoxe. 



The Alder Catkins.— On page 57 of the Bulletin I see a note 



on alder catkins, and.would like to say that the staminate catkins of 

 that plant, in this vicinity, this year, were remarkably vigorous, and 

 appeared in great profusion. I noticed this fact from my attention, 

 for special reasons, having been given to them. I should reasonably 

 expect there might be all this difference in places so distant from 

 each other as Rhode Island and Wisconsin. 



Ripon, Wise 



Plant Exchanges.— Dr. Joseph 



C. T. Tralev. 



Utica. N. Y., who is constantly engaged in collecting, and who has 

 good specimens of everything found growing in Oneida County and 

 vicinity, desires to correspond and exchange with botanists devoted 

 to the study of Carex. Dr. Haberer's list of desiderata is too long to 

 insert in this place, but may be obtained by addrqssing him as above. 



Mr. Gustav 



baiizeitung, and whose address is Klagenfurt, Kilrnten, Austria, writes 

 us that he would like to exchange phaenogams and cryptogams of 

 the Austrian Alps for American ferns, mosses, algae and phaenogams. 



