THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. "93 



seems to be to repel the seeds from anything in motion, 

 coming close enough for contact. That is, the disk -like 

 processes act as so many springs which tend to keep the 

 seed moving if but lightly touched. Try placing a quan- 

 tity of seed on a newspaper or other plane surface, and 

 touching the mass with a lead pencil. You will soon find 

 the seed scattered over several square feet. So in falling 

 from the ripened capsules the seed is apt to rebound to 

 some distance, especially if striking the frozen ground, or 

 glazed snow. 



No doubt we are indebted to certain of our w^inter 

 birds, particularly the tree sparrow (Spizella wonticola), 

 and the snow-bird {Junco hyemalis) (or aiding in the scat- 

 tering of the seed. It so happens that the gentian grows 

 in company with other plants, the seeds of which are 

 gathered as food b^^ these and other winter visiting birds. 

 We can reasonably believe that a seed so plentifully sup- 

 plied, and so well equipped for motion as that of the gen- 

 tian will hardly escape the busy feet of these birds as they 

 delve in the fallen leaves or scurry over the snow. 



Aikin, Md. 



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

 anist are always in demand for this department. Our 

 readers are invited to make this the place of publication 

 for their botanical items. 



The Kentucky Coffee Tree. — According to a writer 

 in Park and Cemetery the Kentucky coffee tree {Gymno- 

 cladus canadensis) is purely American there being but one 

 species in the genus. The fruit is a broad pod with several 

 seeds nearly as large as marbles. It is said that the tree 

 gets its common name from the fact that the early settlers 

 used the seeds as a substitute for coffee, though they are 

 exceedingly hard and must have been difficult to crush. 



