THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. Ill 



of the United States of like area can l^oast. Within short 

 distances are the mountains, the Pahsades of the Hudson, 

 the salt marshes, the sea coast, the New Jersey "pine bar- 

 rens" and last but by no means least, the Long Island 

 plains of which Mr.Kirby writes. The editor has derived 

 about as much pleasure in botanizing over them as he 

 manages to get out of the studj^ of plants anywhere. — 

 Ed.] 



"NEW SPECIES" OF PLANTS. 



In late years the multiplication of "new species" 

 seems to have passed all bounds, and the systematist 

 engaged in determining collections finds it a most difficult 

 task to consult the literature of the subject. And that 

 for two reasons: first, because the literature has grown 

 so enormously ; and second, because many of the modern 

 plant descriptions are incomplete. The rapid increase in 

 the number of "new species" is mainly due to the failure 

 of many writers to appreciate what is really meant by a 

 species, and also their incompetence to understand the 

 botanical terms applied in scientific botany. Last, but 

 not least, the careless publication of anythink "new," in 

 no order whatever, and wdth no information as to the 

 affinity of the said new species, is a stumbling block to 

 students of systematic botany. Let us illustrate this 

 by a few^ examples. 



It is not unusual, nowadaj'S, to come across diag- 

 noses, which are so incomplete that one does not gain 

 any idea of how the plant looks, and such statements as 

 "flowers not seen," "fruit not known," are far from 

 uncommon. Moreover the parts underground, the roots 

 and rhizomes, are seldom described, and if described, they 

 are often misunderstood. To make a description com- 

 plete involves the consideration of all the diiferent organs 

 of the plant, besides a comparison of its nearest allies. 

 But to describe the organs of the plant is by no means an 

 easy matter; this implies a thorough knowledge of 

 botanical terminology, seldom possessed by authors, 



