270 
Reviews, 
Synopsis of Malvee, or an Enumeration of the Plants contained 
in the first Tribe of the Natural Order Malvacee. Edmund G 
Baker (8vo, pp. 824; reprinted from the Journal of Botany, 1890- 
1894). 
Mr. Baker has laid the botanical world under deep obligation 
to him by his publication of the series of papers on Malvez, now — 
conveniently brought together in one volume. He is modest in 
terming this work an “enumeration;” it is really much more than 
this, for diagnoses of all the species of the genera first taken up 
are given, and we understand from his preface that they would 
have been given throughout had the space of the Journal been 
available for the purpose. We presume that the learned editor of 
the Journal felt that he needed the space which might otherwise 
have most advantageously been assigned Mr. Baker for the put” 
pose of defending his antiquated views on nomenclature. It iS. 
unfortunate that Mr. Baker did not select a more elastic organ 
for his papers. 
The sequence adopted for the genera and the characters relied 
on for their limitation follow pretty closely the treatment of the 
group by Bentham and Hooker. Sidastrum is a proposed new — 
genus based on Sida guinguenervia Duchass. In a supplement Mr. 5 
Baker expresses himself as favoring the recognition of Prof. : 
Greene’s genus Hesperalcea, but he does not agree with Dr. Kuntze + | 
in regarding Ma/v@opsis of Presl as an equivalent of Malvasirum 4 
A. Gray, noting that the type of Malveopsis (Malva anomala s 
Link & Otto) is not definitely determined, and is doubtfully Z 
referred by him to Spheralcea elegans Don. ; oe 
A large number of species are described as new, South and 
Central American ones being added to the genera Malvastrum, : : 
Cristaria, Gaya, Sida, Abutilon and Spheralcea. A comprehen- ae 
sive index is added. N. L. B. a 
Description of some fossil plants from the Great Falls coal field : 
of Montana. Wm. ™M. Fontaine. Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. 15: 487 
495, pl. 82-84 (1892). a 
The following new species and varieties are described: Asp 
dium monocarpum, A. angustipinnatum Font. vat. Montanense, Pe- 
