THE PLANT WORLD 83 



method may be employed in dealing with Helianthemum, with some 

 genera of Malvaceae and Cucnrbitaceae, and with several small families 

 allied to the latter. Waxed paper should be used with fruit specimens 

 of DesmocUum. 



Another troublesome class of plants comprises the Ficoideae, most 

 of the Crassulaceae, many Portulacaceae, Bat is, etc. An Allium will 

 bloom and seed in press, and its root be ready to grow the following 

 spring. All such plants may be killed and disarticulation prevented by 

 immersion in hot water, as is stated in " Botanizing," but there is dan- 

 ger of overdoing the thing by too long immersion, which causes the 

 leaves to drop off at once. When I have a set of a plant of this nature, 

 I lay the specimens in a pan and pour boihng water over them. Just 

 as soon as all green has disappeared, I turn the pan over on the ground 

 and spread the dead and limp plants on grass or a wire screen. As 

 soon as the water has dried off I place the specimens in press, and, by 

 frequent changes, soon have them nicely dried. With Monocotyledonae 

 I have not used hot water with satisfaction except on leathery leaves 

 like those of Yucca and Epide7idrum. A bunch of the latter I have 

 placed in a tea kettle of boiling water, the flowers outside protected 

 from the steam, and they have not been affected in the least. Pressing 

 specimens with a hot flat iron is barbarous. 



Thick leaved maritime plants like Scaevola and Iva imhricaria I al- 

 low to air-dry on a floor for two or three days before pressing. The flow- 

 ers of Citrus fall to pieces if pressed fresh, but not if first wilted a little. 

 Disarticulation is checked by any wilting process, and most promoted 

 by confinement in a fresh state in a close box. This trouble increases 

 in approaching the tropics, as also the discoloration of specimens. 

 Most specimens that I have had from the tropics, including ferns, are 

 almost black. Even my north Florida collections of spring and sum- 

 mer plants lose most of their green before winter. This might perhaps 

 be prevented by serving them as our merchants do kid gloves, by send- 

 ing them north for storage till the middle of fall. The color of dried 

 specimens, however, is a matter of no practical importance. 



Other plants which are injured for specimens by keeping over night 

 in a box are many slender ones, especially of the Euphorhia genus, 

 which twist about as if in search of light. On returning from a collect- 

 ing trip I at once transfer my specimens to roomy boxes, placing plenty 

 of wet paper at bottom and top, but avoiding sprinkling. Then I de- 

 cide which kinds should be put in press without delay, and which may 

 be kept over night, if needful, and put them in press in that order. 



When I need to wash roots, which I avoid as much as possible, I 

 usuallj^ air-dry them before pressing. If, for example, I have a set of 

 Eleocharis or Sagittaria taken from miry ground, I wash the roots, trim 



