THE PLANT WORLD 15 



Many of our parsleys have come to us from across the water, some 

 being garden plants that have escaped, and in many cases these have be- 

 come troublesome weeds. To this class belongs the wild parsnip, Pas- 

 tinaca sativa, which now adorns (?) almost every roadside in the Eastern 

 States. Of much more beauty is the wild carrot, Dancus carota, the 

 original of our garden variety. Its white nest-shaped umbels have a 

 beauty of their own and quite deserve their occasional name of Queen 

 Anne's lace. 



This list may be much extended, as I have only mentioned the more 

 conspicuous and abundant species. A day spent with the parsleys in 

 August will be sure to fill the collector's box and take up a wide space in 

 the note-book. Frank Dobbins. 



Shoreham, N. Y. 



CORRECTION AND COMMENT. 



The following statement appeared recently in a magazine which is 

 trusted to give us accurate impressions of travellers : ' ' This tender little 

 tree-plant (Coffee) is grown under the shade of the wide-spreading Ma- 

 lango. Mocha, and Guava trees — the latter having the preference, as the 

 famous Guava jelly is made from its fruit." Talk about travellers' yarns ! 

 The author, in attempting to tell us of the trees used as shade for coffee 

 in Porto Rico, evidently let his pen improvise a bit. He probably knew 

 that the "wide-spreading" Malango is the common Elephant's Ear, or 

 Taro (^Colocasia escu lento), a succulent unbranched Aroid with a starchy 

 rhizome, sometimes cultivated as a root crop. It is possible that he saw 

 a Moca tree iAndira inennis) in or near some coffee plantations, and 

 of course it would be more artistic, considering the text, to spell it 

 "Mocha." And we must needs forgive him for the popular error of 

 confusing " Guaba " ilnga vera) with " Guava," or, as we call it here, 

 ' ' Guayabo ' ' iPsidium gxiajavd) . The Guaba is usually a small tree in 

 the plantations, while the Guayabo is a wild shrub in open pastures. 



Only one tree in the lot of " majestic protectors," as he calls them ! 

 And that one not recognized as good coffee shade, being far inferior to 

 the Guama ilnga laurina) and the Guaba (/. vera). We are prepared 

 to receive almost any kind of ' ' information ' ' regarding the much- 

 maligned Malango, but to see it in the role of a wide-spreading, majestic 

 protector of coffee does make us gasp. 



Verily, it will not be long now before photographs from air-ships will 

 clear up all questions of international politics, ethnology, ecology, etc. 

 Apparatus suspended from said ships will give us ' ' complete details ' ' of 

 the ethics and superstitions of the Papuans and the Oyampis. But in the 

 meantime will not some long-distance, idealizing journalist give us a lyric 

 on the " Mighty violet with gnarled bole " ? O. W. Barrett. 



Mayaguez, Porto Rico. 



