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Wanted. — Short notes of interest to the general bot- 

 anist are alwa3^s in demand for this department. Our 

 readers are invited to make this the place of publication 

 for their botanical items. 



The Jackson Vine. — Some time ago, a note was pub- 

 lished in this journal asking forthe identity- of the Jackson 

 Anne without eliciting a repl}'. Chance, ho\vever, has 

 made it possible for the editor to answer the question. 

 The Jackson vine is another name for the so-called south- 

 ern smilax {Smilax lanceolata) which is at present very 

 noticable in decorations on festive occasions. At the rate 

 it is being brought to market it would seem that the sup- 

 ply cannot last long. The plant protection societies might 

 find the matter worth investigation. 



Thistle-down. — Who of those, to whom the sight of 

 thistle-down is familiar, have ever closeh^ examined it ? 

 Those who have not may find an interesting experience in 

 taking a ripe thistle head and by grasping the tips of the 

 persistent corollas and pappus bristles, carefully pulling 

 them out altogether. As soon as the}- are released Irom 

 the urn-like involucre every feathery pappus begins to ex- 

 pand, the whole mass slowly growing until it occupies 

 many times the space it did when packed away in the in- 

 volucre. This silky pappus is realh^ a transformed calj^x 

 as may easily be seen by its position surrouncting the co- 

 rolla. It has fift3^ or more soft bristles, each of which is 

 provided with a great number of silk-like hairs. At the 

 base these bristles are joined into a ring and there is a 

 cylindrical projection at the top of each seed just big 

 enough to fit into this calyx-ring. When the pappus is 

 fully spread, the lightest breath causes it to move away 

 with its depending seed until it finally lodges in some dis- 

 tant spot where the seed drops off ready to form a new 

 plant. 



