'1:UE AMERICAN BOTANIST 101 



divisions of the corolla are narrower where they join the tube. 

 The emarginate form apparently does not occur in this region, 

 at least it is not common. The illustration shows the outline 

 of two blossoms made by drawing a line around the fresh flcjw- 

 ers. It is likely that the western form should be known as 

 Phlox Laj^haniii (Wood). In order that the range of the two 

 forms may be more clearly indicated, if there is a geographical 

 difference, readers are asked to examine specimens of the phlox 

 in their herbariums and report on the form as it occurs with 

 them. 



BOTANIC GARDENS 



There is perhaps a tendency in the speech and thoughts 

 of most people to confuse botanic gardens and experiment 

 stations and to consider the terms as more or less synonymous. 

 In reality the origin and functions of the two institutions are 

 very different. In the first place, botanic gardens are much 

 the older of the two. They can be directly traced back to 

 the gardens attached to the monasteries of Europe, where 

 medicinal herbs as well as nutritious vegetables were cultivated 

 and their properties studied. Perhaps one may not be far 

 wrong in tracing the origin of modern botanic gardens to the 

 dawn of history, for we find not only in Hebrew traditions, 

 but in early records of Egypt, Assyria and China that gardens 

 wherein was "every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good 

 for food" were desirable possessions of the race. 



The earliest garden of which we have any representation 

 is that of Thothmes III in Egypt about the year B. C. 1,000 

 which was planned by the head gardener of the gardens attach- 

 ed to the temple of Karnak. Perhaps, however, the Chinese 

 rather than the Egyptians are to be credited with having first 



