VOL. IV.] Writings of Edzvard L. Greene. 67 



slightly irregular, it is still an unirapeachably circurascissile 

 dehiscence." 



The fruit of Garry a, " pyxis" Mr. Greene calls it, is what is 

 known to most botanists as an " indehiscent berry." It is in fact 

 about as dehiscent and in just the same manner as a gooseberry, 

 Both of them have their tissues strengthened at base and apex 

 and when subjected to violence burst irregularly along the line of 

 least resistance, but if preserved from violence and decay neither 

 of them would "dehisce" in a thousand years. He discourses 

 learnedly concerning Ciciita Californica and its root character* 

 but some kind friend having pointed out his blunder he is 

 obliged to admitf that he had mistaken Q^najithe Californica for 

 Cicuta and that his remarks do not apply; nevertheless undis- 

 mayed he proceeds to separate, on root characters alone, three 

 new species from C. maciilata — he thinks one of them may be 

 Sium Doiiglasii, but not being certain takes his usual and easiest 

 method — makes a new species. 



He insists upon dismembering the Compositse, separating the 

 Cichoriaceset which he considers more closely allied to the lyobeli- 

 acese than to their present companions — making the possession 

 of a milky juice of more importance in classification than details 

 of structure. It is a relief to find that he does not drag Asclepias, 

 Papaver, Euphorbia, and the Cow tree into the partnership. 



His devotion to archaic botany seems to interfere somewhat 

 with a due regard to contemporary literature, as, for instance, in 

 his lengthy account of Carpenteria, § where he made the rest of 

 the world aware that he thought a plant in quite common culti- 

 vation was still known only in the type specimen; in his rather 

 frequent homonyms and in such instances as Eriogynia Hender- 

 soni\\ and Cniciis heterolepis,^ both of which he redescribes, 

 being " unable to find that any description was ever published,", 

 though the first appeared in the Botanical Gazette for 1891, 

 and the second (under Cirsium) in Plantce Hartzvegiance. 



* Pitt, i, 271. 



t Pitt, ii, 6. 



X Pitt, i, 298. Erythea, i, i . 



I Pitt, ii, 67, 141. 



II Pitt, ii, 219. 



\ Proc. Philad. Acad., 1892, 363. 



