BOTANICAL GAZETTE. 319 



Aquilegia longissima. —Apropos of Dr. Gray's note, it may be allow- 

 able to call attention to several of our American flowers with long, slender 

 spurs, adapted to fertilization by the aid of Aphingidce. Beside the long-spurred 

 Aquilegics, which, despite the opinions of certain English writers on floral evo- 

 lution, are more highly specialized than the European species of the genus, 

 several flowers of this description occur in the West and Southwest. In the 

 genus (Enothera there are not less than four such : (E. Missouriensis (2-5'), CE. 

 microsceles (4-50, (E- Jamesii (3-5J 7 ), and <E. ecespitosa (2-7')- The flowers of Macro- 

 siphonia Berlandieri are 3-5 inches long. MirabUis Wrightiana reaches a length 

 of -iy ; and M. longiflora G\' ; while over the line in Mexico, some of the species 

 of Nicotiana, e. g. N. longiflora, reach a length of above three and a half inches. 



These flowers require a longer proboscis than that of our common Eastern 

 moths. Probably their most frequent visitor will be found to be Amphonyx An- 

 tewsDrury, one specimen of which, which was kindly examined for me by Mr. 

 S. Henshaw, of the Boston Society of Natural History, had a tongue 5| inches 

 long. It is quite probable that this length may be exceeded in other individ- 

 uals. — Wm. Trelease. 



The Grasses of the U. S. — Allow me to say in response to your kind note 

 in the last number of the Gazette, respecting the recent pamphlet on the 

 Grasses of the United States, that it is somewhat experimental, and designed to 

 call out information and criticism as well as to give needed assistance, especial- 

 ly to Western botanists. A few omissions have been already pointed out, as 

 for instance, Paniewm virgatum, L., and Glyceria Canadensis, Trin., also some typo- 

 graphical errors. There is also an omission of one genus, viz. Scleropogon, of 

 which we have at least one species in Texas and the South-west, viz : S Karwins- 

 kianus, Benth., which has been frequently distributed under the name of Tri- 

 cuspis monstrosa, Munro. Any information respecting omissions, errors, or notes 

 as to local names, uses, etc., will be thankfully received. — Geo. Vasev. 



Abnormal Clematis. — I have just had handed to me by Prof. E. W T . Blake, 

 Jr., a branch of Clematis, probably C. patens, showing a peculiar abnormality _ 

 It is terminated by the usual large flower. The first foliage leaf has the petiole 

 twisted, as usual, for climbing. Above this the leaflet, for there is but one, is 

 expanded into a blade, about half of which is petaloid, while the rest is green. 

 The plant was grown in New Haven. — W. W. Bailey. 



Erratum. — In my note on local names, in last issue, there occurs an erra- 

 tum. For " mining berry " read " minnie-berry." But who ever reads a cor- 

 rection ? — W. W. Bailey. 



EDITORIAL NOTES. 



Me. Buckley has just named a Texan oak for Dr. Vasey, being a shrub or 

 small tree of the group of black oaks. 



We would earnestly urge all botanists who have grievances against the 

 Postofnce Department in reference to packages of specimens to state them very 

 briefly to Dr. Farlow, of Cambridge, Mass., Prof. Bessey, of Ames, Iowa, or 



