THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 99 



Fi.ovve;r Buds Two Years Old. — While I am not yet 

 ready to give a decisive ansvi^er to your query about Paidozciiia 

 in the last number of Botanist, it seems to me on an ex- 

 amination of the flower-buds on two very fine specimens in 

 the State-House grounds here, as also of a specimen sent me 

 by A. S. Hitchcock from Washington, D. C. that what really 

 happens here is this. The inflorescence instead of developing 

 from this year's buds, seems to form the previous season. The 

 flower-buds that are now developing are on the branches of 

 a panicle that is fully mature, and which undoubtedly belongs 

 to last year's growth. This is very different from what hap- 

 pens in the case of Catalpa for instance, where the whole 

 panicle develops from this season's bud ; but strictly speaking, 

 the Pauloivnia flowers do not take two years to develop. 

 Like the flowers of most trees in this climate, the buds form 

 one season and open the next, and the only difference is, that 

 in the case of Paidownia the rest of the inflorescence forms 

 in the previous season. But to confirm this the tree ought to 

 be studied during the present season, and the formation of the 

 panicle noted. I am free to sav that I never noticed this 

 phenomenon before, and am glad that you have called atten- 

 tion to it. — /. C. Nelson. 



Indian Turnip In a New Role. — If the Literary Digest 

 quoted a writer in the Troy Record correctly, our old friend 

 Arisaema triphylhun has taken on new characteristics. Ac- 

 cording to this account, where, bv the way, the plant is called 

 Italian turnip, the juice is said to be intensely acid. Then it 

 adds "It is a favorite food of the bear and is so bitter that it 

 is a favorite woods trick to give a taste of the raw root to a 

 tenderfoot." As most of our readers are aware, the juice of 

 the Indian turnip is acrid but not acid, and has not a hint of 

 bitterness in it. When a small piece of the corm (not "root") 

 is chewed, certain small crystals or raphides penetrate the tis- 



