235 



Proceedings of the Botanical Club of the A. A. A. S., Indianapolis 



Meeting, August, 1890. 



Thursday, August 21st. 



I 



The President, Dr. N. L. Britton, in the chair, Dr. C. R. 



Barnes, Secretary. 



Dr. Britton spoke on ^*The Present State of Systematic Bot- 

 any in North America/' alluding to the great amount of investi- 

 gation now being done at the several centers of work, the in- 

 creasing number of speciaUsts and the general satisfactory condi- 



tion of the science. 



Mr. Fernow remarked on his new check-list of North 

 American trees, the nomenclature based for the most part on the 

 recent writings of Professor Sargent and compiled by Mr. Sud- 

 worth. The list will give both scientific and common names ; in 

 the compilation of the latter he asked the assistance of botanists 



all over the country. 



Mr. C. M. Weed exhibited specimens of Actinclla acaulis from 



Lakeside, Ohio, where it appears to be native. This greatly ex- 



■ tends the range of the plant to the East. Professor Bessey 



stated that it occurred in Nebraska on hill-tops. 



Mr. Weed also read a paper on " The Milky Juices of Plants 

 as a Protection against Insect Borers." He had found this hold 

 true in many plants, but Lactuca Canadensis seemed to be an ex- 

 ception. Professor Burrill said that the same fact had been re- 

 ported to him from Greece in the case of the fig, Ficns Tndica^ 

 the plant being artificially slashed to prevent insect depredations. 



Professor Beal described small tubers detected by him on the 

 roots of CeanotJiHS A^nericantis. Professor Burrill remarked that 

 it would be interesting if these should prove to have the same 

 functions attributed to the tubercles borne so abundantly in the 

 Leguminosae. Dr. Britton called attention to an observation by 

 Dr. Thurber on the occurrence of tubers on Rhcxia, 



w 



Professor Burrill remarked on the genus Bactcrinm, main- 



w 



/ taining that it should be recognized as valid. 



Friday, Aug. 22. 



M 



a paper by Miss Effie A 



