THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 121 



thing that another has done. This is not entirely a modern 

 vice. We have long had three words to characterize the same 

 idea in floral structure, namely, gamopetalous, monopetalous 

 and sympetalous or polypetalous, choripetalous and eleuther- 

 opetalous. While two words for the same thing are common 

 witness endosperm and albumen, caulicle and hypocotyl, and 

 the like. Those botanists that work with the fungi have re- 

 cently contributed their share to the confusion by injecting into 

 nomenclature the words telia, pycnia, aecia and uredinia with 

 their relatives teliospores, aeciospores and urediniospores. The 

 fact that we had uredospores, teleutospores and aecidiospores 

 before these scientists were bom did not deter them. What 

 matters it to them that the student in both school and college 

 will be bothered by the change? The new way is so scientific! 



A Good Seed for Study. — Throughout the winter, in al- 

 most any locality, there is to be found one of the most illustra- 

 tive seeds that can be given the beginner for study. This is 

 the seed of the honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos). The 

 long, flat, twisted pods of this species, dark red in color, hang 

 on the trees until nearly spring and later may be found on the 

 ground in the vicinity. The seeds are of especial value from 

 the fact that they contain an embryo, whose parts are easily 

 recognized, together with endosperm arranged in a very simple 

 manner just within the testa. With other common seeds the 

 difficulty is to get one that will show all these parts plainly. 

 Most seeds with endosperm have very rudimentary plunnules. 

 This is true of the castor bean, four o'clock morning gloi-y and 

 other seeds commonly taken for study. It is not suggested 

 that the honey-locust should take the place of these, — rather 

 that it should precede them in the study in order that the pupil 

 may be made familiar with a seed having a complete embryo 

 and endosperm. Then the others may be given, though morn- 

 ing glory seeds are too small for good work with beginners. 

 The honey locust also illustrates the fact that the testa may be 



