184 Floristik, Geographie, Horticultur und Systematik etc. 



zation of French or German populär names, the derivation is sometimes 

 very complicated, for instance Camelia, TrolUus, Aquilegia and the 

 like. Still more difficult, however, are such names which were used 

 by the old authors to genera, that nowadays are applied to entirely 

 different plants. The Latin sufhx: aster, astra, astrum is, as a rule, 

 entirely misunderstood; it was used by Pliny to indicate escaped 

 forms of cultivated plants: Oleaster of Olea, hence such combinations 

 as Brittonastnim and Macoiinastrum are rather unfortunate. The 

 writer recommends some works of Linnaeus and Elias Fries, 

 besides Ascherson, where derivations are explained, and cor- 

 rectty so. Theo. Holm. 



Piper, C. V., Flora of the State of Washington. (Contribu- 

 tions from the U. S. National Herbarium. XI. October, 1906). 



An octavo volume of 637 pages, with 22 illustrative plates, and 

 map. The flora is both extensive and varied, ranging from plants 

 growing at sea-level to those bordering the snow line of high moun- 

 tains, with temperature limits widely divergent for different parts of 

 the State, and precipitation areas of from less than 10 inches to over 

 90 inches annuall3^ 



Historical matter is followed by an account of the physiography, 

 geology and climate of the State. Ecological analyses are given ot 

 the Upper Sonoran, Humid Transition, and Arid Transition repre- 

 sentations of the Austral Life regions, and of the Canadian, Hud 

 sonian and Arctic zones of the Boreal life region; and several minor 

 regions of peculiar local interest receive adequate treatment. 



The bulk of the volume (539 pages) is devoted to an annotated 

 catalogue of the vascular plants of the State. Eight families of Pteri- 

 dophj^tes are represented by 23 genera, containing 62 species, and 

 2 additional subspecies. The phanerogamic families number 109, and 

 are represented by 593 genera with 2256 species and 190 additional 

 minor forms. One hundred and lifty eight species and 27 subspecies 

 are said to be known from Washington only. The sequence of groups 

 is that of Engler and Prantl, and the nomenclature follows the pre- 

 valent neo-American practice. Keys are provided for the determi- 

 nation of genera and species, in the Interpretation of which the 

 author is rather conservative. 



The following new names occur attributable to the author unless 

 otherwise noted: Potamogeton californiciis {P. paucißorus californicus 

 Morong), Aristida purpiirea robiista {A. lojigiseta robnsta Merrill), 

 Stipa cornata intonsa, Mevatlirepta pinetorum {piautlwuia spicata 

 pinetonini Piper). M. intermedia (D. intermedia Vasey), M. inter- 

 media cusickü (D. intermedia cnsickii Williams), M. californica {D. 

 californica Boland), M. americana {D. americana Scribn.), M. unispi- 

 cata (D. nyiispicata Thurb.), Melica harfordii tenidor [M. harfordii 

 minor Vasey), M. bella intonsa, M. fugax madophylla, Poa bolan- 

 derii chandleri {Poa howellü diandleri Davj^), P. canbyi {Glyceria 

 canbyi Scribn.), Panicidaria nervata elata {P. elata Nash), Bronms 

 eximiiis {B. vtdgaris eximins Shear), B. eximiiis robnstns (B. vulgaris 

 robiistus Shear), B. eximins umbraticus {B. vulgaris Shear), Agro- 

 pyron spicatum puberulentum (A. spicatum pnbescens Eimer), A. sub- 

 villosnni [Triticnm repens snbvillosnm Hook.), Elymus leckenbyi 

 (Sitanion leckenbyi Piper), Scirpus brittonianus iß. campestris Britton), 

 Carex festiva horneri (C. festiva stricta Bailey) , C. furva (C. pratensis 



