131 
to be expressed in the following terms: Leaves in drying under 
uniform lateral pressure shrink in all parts around and toward 
the geographical center of the mass of tissue composing its frame- 
work, A more general and condensed form of this law is: Leaves 
in drying under pressure shrink towards the mass-center of the 
framework. Byron D. Hatstep. 
Morphological Notes on the Genus Brunnichia. 
The following lines are intended to correct several errors re- 
corded in the works of our leading authorities on genera. Being 
vohigieae a study of some of the Polygonacee, the mistakes 
wisde ee attracted my attention. They seem to have been 
eee y Endlicher in his Genera Plantarum and are apparently 
§ perpetuated by later. writers. 
1. Zhe Calyx of Brunnichia, End- 
licher (Genera Plantarum, 310) says in 
regard to this: “Perigonium. . 
quinquepartitum, laciniis oblongis . . 
. apice conniventibus.” According 
to Bentham and Hooker (Genera Plan- 
tarum 3: 103) we should find «« Peri- 
anthium 5-fidum. . . . lobis conni- 
ventibus,” while Baillon records this: 
«“Sepala 5, 6, oblonga. . . - circa 
fructum conniventibus.” (Hist. Pl. 
11: 393). All these descriptions are 
given in the place of Bank’s original. 
“Calyx. . . . revolutis.” (Geertn. 
ponding oh mes Fr. et Sem. 1: 214) or some corres- 
sa & phrase, which is the correct interpretation of the fact. 
gure on Gaertner’s table 45 is also correct. 
Tn al Probability the error arose by these authors taking their 
dia ; eg 
Pe from dried or dead specimens. In the living plant the 
ents of the calyx are revolute or reflexed, and it is only when 
they qj ‘ a 
Y die or are dried that the segments converge. Bioweyen F< 
Soa . : + 
ked in water the calyx-lobes will take their natural position. 
ea take their natu 
a 1s I have verified by all the specim icnak manaee 1S 
