86 THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 



species reads like that which one in the Eastern States 

 might make for his own localit3^ In this list we 

 note the identical species we have at home of eel 

 grass (Vallisnera), pondweed (Potamogeton), water mil- 

 foil (Myriophylhwt) hornwort (Ceratophyllum), wild 

 rice {Zkania) cat-tail (Typha), bladder wort (Utricu- 

 laria), reed (Phragmitcs) , water plantain (Alisma), 

 sweet flag (Acorns), smart weed (Polygonum) and butter- 

 cup (Ranunculus), while many other genera common to the 

 two regions are found, such as Azolla, Salvinia, Nymphaea, 

 Brasenia, Scirpus and Nuphar. Botanizing along the water- 

 ways of Japan would be much like an expedition in our own 

 country and lack many of the elements of novelty. In drier 

 ground, however, there would be a greater difference. The 

 water vegetation consists almost entirely of simple forms that 

 are widely distributed over the earth. 



Tricotyledons. — While thinning out some radish seed- 

 lings the other day I found two that, instead of having two 

 seed-leaves or cotyledons, had three. This abnormal condi- 

 tion has, I believe, been observed in other plants, but it occurs 

 very rarely. — Edwin W. Humphreys, Nczv York. [De Vries 

 notes in his "Species and Varieties, Their Origin by Mutation" 

 that tricotyledons are more numerous in some species than in 

 others. By careful breeding he was able to obtain in some in- 

 stances 90% of tricotyledons in a given crop of seedlings, but 

 in other cases only one or two plants in a hundred had the ab- 

 normality. Another interesting form that may be looked for 

 whenever large numbers of seeds are soAvn is one in which the 

 cotyledons are united. This occurs as often in some species, 

 as tricotyledons do. While two is the highest number of cotyle- 

 dons any plant normally bears, execept in the pines where they 

 may be as many as fifteen, it is not rare to find four, five or 

 even more cotvledons. — Ed.] 



