86 THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 



as large as a quart bowl. The pink species so often cultivated 

 in parks is the Egyptian lotus (N. speciosiim) and is said to 

 be the only other member of the genus. 



'J'he water lily family (Nymphaeaceae) has always been 

 something of a puzzle to botanists. It is ordinarily regarded 

 as Dicotyledonous but some, on account on the structure of 

 the plant, favor transferring it to the Monocotyledons. In 

 most books it holds a place low in the scale of classification 

 being assigned to the Ranales which includes besides the type 

 family Ranunculaceae, the Magnoliaceae, the Berberidaceae, 

 the Calycanthaceae and several others. A more than passing 

 resemblance may be found in the blossoms of the whole group. 

 This is especially striking in the flowers of the peony, the 

 mandrake, the magnolia and the calycanthus. 



EARTH STARS 



By Mary Earle Hardy 



OOME one has said we may know the patterns which Na- 

 ^^ ture likes best by noting those she uses most. Did you 

 ever think how often the pattern of stars is repeated? Altho 

 so often used, there is always diversity, — from the stars 

 that twinkle in the sky to the star flowers of spring and sum- 

 mer, the asters of autumn, and the snowflakes of winter ; be- 

 side the multitudes of other stars on land and even in the sea. 

 I wonder how many of you ever saw the interesting 

 earth-stars or Geasters as science calls them. The books tell 

 us that while they are not uncommon, they are only seen by 

 the most observing and by them are but little understood. 

 Earth-stars have been called "the most picturesque of the 

 mushrooms." They are little glorified puff-balls, and are of 



