206 Floristik etc. — Anorewandte Botanik. 



&^ 



Rose, J. N., New species of Opuntia from Angona. (Contr. 

 U. S. Nat. Herb. XII. p. 401—402. pl. 55. May 10, 1909.) 



Opuntia Tourneyi and 0, Blakeana. Trelease. 



Bailey, L. H., Cyclopedia of American Agriculture. A popu- 

 lär survey of agricultural conditions, practices and 

 Ideals in the United States and Canada. (New York, The 

 Macmillan Company. London, Macmillan & Co. $ 5.00 per volume net. 



The third and fourth volumes of this work, in quarto, sustain 

 the quality established by'the first two volumes (Cf. Bot. Centralblatt, 

 CVII. p. 335—6.) 



Vol. III (XVI, 708. pp. 681 figs. 25 pl. June 22, 1908) is devoted 

 to animals and the animal industry, but includes articles on stock- 

 poisoning (Mayo), infectious diseases of animals (Moore), poisonous 

 weeds and their eradication (Wilcox). 



Vol. IV (XIV, 650 pp. 163 figs. 24 pl.. Mar. 24, 1909) is an economic 

 analysis of the Status and conditions of American agriculture, agri- 

 cultural education, legislation affecting agriculture, including food 

 and drugs, fruits, seeds and weeds. A considerable series of short 

 biographies closes the volume. Trelease. 



Burkill, I. H., A Summary of our present knowledge re- 

 g'arding the use of Dyes from Flowers in India, together 

 with two Reports on Thespesia Larnpas and Hibisciis Sapdanffa 

 by A. G. Perkin. (Agric. Ledger. IL p. 7-30. 1909.) 



Flowers of the following plants are used as dj^es in India: 

 Gossypiiint spp., Biitea superba and B. frondosa, Erythrina indica, 

 Carthatmis tinctoriiis, Tagetes erecta and T. patida, Nyctanthes Arbor- 

 tristis, Crocus sativus, Impatiens Balsatnina, Delphiniuin Zalil, Ce- 

 drela Toona, Hibiscus Sapdaviffa and Woodfordia ßoribunda. The 

 parts of the country in which they are used are given and a review 

 of the literature. The chemical nature of the dye is stated to be 

 wholly unknown in Erythrina, hnpatiens and Cedrela, and also of 

 the red dye of Hibiscus Sapdariffa : what is known of the nature 

 of the other dyes is given. Most of the flower-dyes are recorded to 

 be more or less fugacious. 



Mr. A. G. Perkin' s two brief reports contain the Information 

 that there is quercetin in the flowers of Thespesia Lampas, a plant 

 which was chemically examined on account of its relationship to 

 cotton; and that there is in the petals of Hibiscus Sapdariffa an ap- 

 parently new colouring matter of the flavon group, closely allied to 

 gossypetin. J. H. Burkill. 



Gassner, G., Algunos anälisis de semillas. (Revista Secciön 

 Agronomia, IV. p. 107—115. Montevideo 1909.) 



Die Arbeit enthält den ersten Teil einer Reihe von Unter- 

 suchungen über die Beschaffenheit der in Uruguay im Handel 

 erhältlichen Samen. Da eine Samenkontrolle bisher nicht existiert, kann 

 man es nicht wunder nehmen, dass die untersuchten Proben an Qualität 

 oft zu wünschen übrig lassen. Von den Alfaifasorten enthielt eine 

 Probe argentinischer Alfalfa 515 Körner Cuscuta raceniosa pro Kg., 

 andere Proben waren nur mit 58 bezw. 62'^/(, keimfähig. 



G. Gassner. 



