THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 73 



Origin of the Name Dogwood. — According to the 

 -•authorities the name dogwood was given to the cornels 

 (Cornus) because a red barked species of Europe was used 

 to make a decoction with wliich to wash mangy dogs ! 



Stor.\x. — The sweet gum {Liquidamhar styracWua) is 

 -well known for its production of a clear resinous balsam 

 used for chewing gum. Form the resemblance of this bal- 

 sam to the storax of the drug stores the tree is sometimes 

 called American storax. The true storax is obtained from 

 an allied species (L. orientalis) native to the region about 

 the Red Sea. 



Use of the Teeth of Moss Capsules. — "I remember 

 a story of two botanists who were much interested in 

 mosses. One said to the other that he had often wondered 

 why the teeth of the capsules differed so much in different 

 species. 'Oh,' said his friend, 'I see no difficulty. If it 

 were not for those differences, how in the world should w^e 

 'be able to distinguish one species from another.' I once 

 heard a lady suggest that the reason of the great number 

 of bulbous plants in South Africa was because the Dutch 

 are so fond of bulbs!" — Lord Avehury in Nature Motes. 



When Flowers Produce their Odors. — In all prob- 

 ability the odors of flowers were developed for the sole 

 purpose of attracting insects to their blossoms. It is 

 therefore interesting to note that flow^ers pollinated by in- 

 sects that are abroad for only part of each day, produce 

 their odor only during the hours when the insects are fly- 

 ing. Various pinks, which are scentless by day, give off a 

 strong perfume at dusk, and the petunia and honeysuckle 

 are said to be most fragrant after nightfall. On the other 

 hand, flowers pollinated by day-flying insects become 

 scentless in the dark. The common evening primrose 

 which is open from twilight to the middle of the following 

 morning developes its odor late in the evening and seems 

 to lose it early in the morning. For this reason it is often 

 thought to be scentless, because examined at a time when 

 the odor is not produced. 



