30 THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 



nutans), stichwort {Stellaria holostea), weasel snout {Gale- 

 ohdolon lutewn) etc., develop; in the aestival or summer 

 aspect (June-^August) a number of other species become 

 prominent; and the autumnal aspect (September-November) 

 shows no fresh flowering plants in the woodland but is 

 marked by the appearance of many fungi. — A. G. Tansley 

 ill Practical Plant Ecology. [The autumn aspect of Brit- 

 ish vegetation, if this a true description of it, is far behind 

 our own. It is well-known that the other side of the world 

 has no such wealth of goldenrods, sunflowers, asters, and 

 other composites as we possess but we commonly assume 

 other species to take their places. One can imagine what 

 our autumn would be like with "no fresh flowers in the 

 woodland" after August. — Bd.] 



Scientific Plant-Lore — There is a risk in recording 

 information about unusual plants and flowers unless one can 

 give first-hand information; otherwise extraordinary state- 

 ments get into print. For example, John Lindley in his "Nat- 

 ural System of Botany" 2nd Edition, London, 1836, says of 

 the true papaw (Carica papaya) "The tree has moreover the 

 singular property of rendering the toughest animal substances 

 tender by causing the separation of the muscular fibers; its 

 very vapor does this. Newly killed meat suspended among 

 the leaves and even old hogs and old poultry when fed on the 

 leaves and fruit become tender in a few hours." Miss Kings- 

 ley, indeed, in her book on West Africa reports the same 

 thing but is very skeptical about it. Lindley records other 

 things which need verification. Thus of the horse chestnut 

 "Handsome trees * * * remarkable for their large seeds. 

 These seeds contain a great quantity of starch which renders 

 them nutritive for man and manv other animals." Of the 

 China tree (Melia Ascderach) he says "The pulp that sur- 



