Floristik und Systematik der Phanerogamen. 159 



beschäftigt. Leider ist, wenn es in seinem Erscheinen auch weiterhin 

 mit Aschersons Synopsis Schritt hält, die Beendigung desselben 

 wohl noch in sehr weite Ferne gerückt. Hayek. 



Rogers, Julia E., The Tree Book. (New York, Doubleday, Page 

 and Cy., 1905. 4". XX, 589 pp. 176 pl. 4.00 Doli.) 



„To know a trees name is the beginning of aquaintance — not 

 an end in itself". This introduction, planned for the novice and 

 aided by Photographie Illustration, partly in color, is the purpose of 

 Miss Rogers' book. Keys are given to families, genera and species 

 of some of the more interesting North American trees, each of 

 which is the subject of a populär commentary. The illustrations 

 include habit, foliage, flowers or fruit, twig and trunk. Sections are 

 also devoted to „forestry", „the uses of wood", and „the life of the 

 trees". Trelease. 



Stapf, 0., The Aconites of India: A monograph. (Annais of 

 the Royal Botanic Garden, Calcutta. Vol. X. Part II. 1905. 

 p. 115—197. Piates 92—116.) 



After a brief preface the author proceeds to consider the history of 

 the Indian Aconites. A further section is devoted to a description of 

 the root-structure of Aconitum, which is of great importance for the 

 distinction of the species. Three main types of structure occur, 

 depending intimately on the duration and rejuvenation of the indi- 

 vidual plants; at the same time they offer the most salient feature 

 by which the three principal sections of the genus may be charac- 

 terised. The genus is subdivided as follows : 



Sect. I. Lycoctonum. Root perennial, long, fusiform, usually 

 breaking up at length into cord-like anastomosing or free Strands; 

 old plants often with severa! stems from the coUar (species: A. laeve, 

 A. luricliim, A. moscliatum). 



Sect. li. Napelliis. Roots biennial, period, tuberous; each 

 tuber producing normally one simple or (rarely) branched stem 

 (species: A. soongaricum, A. cliasmantlium, A. violaceiim etc.). 



Sect. III. Gymnaconitum. Root fusiform, annual (species: A. 

 gymnandnini). 



The structure of the root-tubers, found in the section Napellus, 

 exhibits remarkable variety in the disposition of the cambium 

 and consequently of the secondary xylem- and phloem-strands. 

 The simplest case is represented by what Goris has called the 

 Napeltus-type, in which the cambium appears as a faint more or less 

 sinuous ring in cross-section. The second, so-called Anf/iora-type 

 (found e. g. in A. Iieteropliytliim), exhibits, in place of one conti- 

 nuous cambium ring, several (up to six) small rings or irregulär 

 Stars embedded in a uniform tissue, and generally arranged 

 in a concentric ring; almost the whole of the central cylinder 

 consists of secondary phloem plus an undefined and very 

 small central pith, and embedded in it are the cambium cy- 

 linders, surrounding the xylem Strands, which enclose a very slender 

 and much reduced column of secondary pith. In the third Deinor- 

 r/ii2um-type we again have isolated cambium bands, embedded in 

 secondary phloem, but the former are much larger, approximately 

 circular, or, more often tangentially flattened and even horseshoe- 

 shaped in cross section and so arranged as to form a discontinuous 

 ring; the bands anastomose in places. 



