BOTANICAL GAZETTE. 267 



Catalogue of Publications of the Smithsonian Institution, with an Alphabetical In- 

 dex of Articles, by W. J. Khees. Washington, 1882. 8°. XIV, 328 pp. 



This volume will prove very serviceable to all who desire information 

 from or about the publications issued under the authority of the Institution. 

 The classified list of separate works contains twenty entries under botany, while 

 the general index has a large number of references to scattered articles. 



Bentham and Hooker's Genera Plantarum, Vol. Ill, Part 3. This part con- 

 tains the thirty-four orders of Monocotyledons, and completes one of the great- 

 est botanical works of the century. No botanical library can afford to be with- 

 out it anymore than it can dispense with DeCandolle's Prodromus, and now the 

 complete generic arrangement of a general herbarium becomes possible. Sin- 

 gularly enough the orders of Phanerogams number exactly 200. The Mono- 

 cotyledons are divided into seven series, as follows, the orders mentioned being 

 only those of our own flora : 



Series I, characterized by its petaloid perianth, inferior ovary, and very 

 small exalbuminous seeds, is called Microspermce, and includes Hydrocharidea>, 

 Burmanniacea^, and Orchidacea?. 



Series II, differing from the former in its copious albumen, is named Epig-. 

 ynce, and contains Bronieliacefe, Haemodoracew, Iridese, Amaryllidese, and Dios- 

 coraccse. 



Series III differs from the last in its free ovary, and is called Coronarice, 

 containing Liliacese, Pontederiacese, Xyrideae, and Commelinacese. 



Series IV differs from the last in its small rigid calyx-like perianth, and is 

 named Calycimc, including Juncacere and Palniaa. 



Series V has the perianth reduced to setae or wanting, and is called Nudi- 

 florce, including Typhacea 5 , Aroideae, and Lemnacese. 



Series VI has distinct carpels and exalbuminous seeds, and is called Apo- 

 earpoB, containing Alismacese and Naiadacese. 



Series VII has flowers in heads or spikes and the parts glumaceous, of 

 course called Glumacece, and containing Eriocauiea 1 , Cyperacea?, and Graminere. 

 Thus our flora contains 22 of the 34 orders. We can only make a few notes at 

 random of the more striking changes. 



Smilace<e is made to rank only as a tribe under LiliacecB. The genus Anach- 

 aris becomes Elodea. The family of Orchids seems to number the most species, 

 containing nearly 5,000 species under 334 genera, the two largest genera being 

 Habenaria and Epidendrum, each with 400 species. Cyperacea and Gramvnece 

 come next in point of numbers, with Lili.acete as fourth with 2,100 species and 

 187 genera, Allium being the largest with 250 species. Watson's Oakesia is 

 returned to Untlaria. In the family of Palnue there are about 1,100_ species and 

 132 genera. It was with very great pleasure that we noted the dedication of a 

 genus of palms to our good friend Mr. Sereno Watson, as distinguished among 

 botanists as he is amiable among men. The genus is founded upon what is called 

 Sabal serrulata in Chapman's Flora, and is called Serenade, as the name Watsonja 

 was already in use for an African genus of the Iridae. Speirodela has again 

 been remanded to Lemna. Our authors are very strongly impressed with the 

 idea that there are far too many species of Cyperacea' and Graminece, giving it 

 as their opinion that while among Cyperacea 3,000 species are described, scarce- 

 ly 2,200 should be retained. Oyperus and Carex are the two largest genera of 

 this family, the former containing 700 species, the latter 800, which Bentham 

 and Hooker say should be reduced to 500. Eleocharis has become Heleocharis. 

 Mr. Bentham's changes among the Graminece have already been pretty fully 

 noted in advance in this journal, and with even greater particularity in the 

 Torrey Bulletin for November, 1882. We must certainly give expression to the 

 general sentiment among botanists when we say, that these most distinguished 

 authors have placed the botanical world under an obligation which can hardly 

 be expressed, much less repaid. 



