THE PLANT WORLD 119 



Editorial. 



The absence of the Supplement from our Ma,y issue was caused 

 by a troublesome delay in securing the two half-tones illustrating the 

 Asclepiadaceae and Convolvulaceae, and it was deemed advisable not to 

 postpone publication longer. As the supplement is to be concluded in 

 the December issue, it may be necessary from time to time to increase 

 or diminish the installments so that its termination may coincide with 

 that of the volume. While we have not as yet definitely determined 

 with what to replace the present Supplement, it is probable that for the 

 forthcoming year we will simply devote this additional space to the 

 journal itself, thus affording abundant opportunity for the publication 

 of general articles in addition to the matter furnished by the Wild 

 Flower Preservation Society of America. 



We shall have two hundred copies of the Supplement neatly bound 

 in pamphlet form, ^\ath full index, and shall offer them at a purely nom- 

 inal price. It is the intention of the author, Mr. Pollard, soon to prepare 

 a new and revised edition adapted for use as a general text book, and 

 containing a glossary of technical terms ; this we expect to publish, 

 upon its completion, as the first of a series of " Twentieth Century 

 Text Books " on botanical subjects. 



" Newspaper Science" is still rampant. A recent issue of a Wash- 

 ington newspaper contained an article, over a column in length, pur- 

 porting to describe the so-called "Kissing Palm," lately received by 

 the Department of Agriculture. The ingenious writer even published a 

 technical name for this wonderful plant, " Palmetto osculari," and had 

 the impudence to discuss its properties, as if they were actually possi- 

 ble. The gist of the story is that every one who comes within the 

 sphere of the palm's influence, — presumably within a few yards or 

 feet, — becomes afflicted with a violent desire to embrace and kiss every- 

 one of the opposite sex standing near ! There can be no words of con- 

 demnation too strong for an otherwise reputable newspaper that will 

 publish trash of this sort. The folk lore of plants contains many bits 

 of legend or myth, and their narration, within reasonable bounds, is of 

 interest to every one ; but any attempt to misrepresent fiction as fact 

 cannot fail to have a mischievous effect. 



