Wanted. — Short notes of interest to the general botanist 

 are always in demand for this dep'^rtment. Our readers are 

 invited to make this the place of nublication for their shorter 

 botanical items. The magazine is issued as soon as possible 

 after the 15th of February, May, August and November. 



The Water Lily a Monocot. — It has long been 

 known that a considerable number of plants reputed to be 

 members of the great group of dicotyledons, have many struc- 

 tures that seem to indicate their rather close relationship to 

 that other branch of the flowering plant division known as 

 the monocotyledons. In a former day these plants were 

 ofter regarded as some of the piers of that bridge which wa? 

 supposed to connect monocot and dicot and they have beei 

 much studied in consequence. Among such plants the water 

 lilies and some of the Berberidaceae are included and Dr. J, 

 H. Schaffner now comes forward with a re-arrangement of 

 plant families which locate the water lilies among the mono- 

 cots and pretty well toward the bottom of the list, at that, 

 since they are sandwiched in between the water plantains and 

 eel-grass families. It is likely, liowever, that most botanists 

 will be inclined to accept this transfer and some there be who 

 would add the mandrake {Podophylluni) to the same cate- 

 gory. 



Drains Clogged by Root.s. — In some cities it is now 

 unlawful to plant the so-called North Carolina poplar along 

 the city streets because of its tendency to fill up drains and 

 sewers with its roots. Numerous complaints of this kind 



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