BOTANICAL GAZETTE. JP 



Here we have two facts shown : — that the seeds of Orobanche minor 

 may remain in the soil an indefinite time before germinating, and, 

 that they do not require attachment in order to induce germination. 

 As this species is parasitic on clover usually, and may have a prefer- 

 ence for that, it is here shown that there may be a growth and full de- 

 velopment without such service. One of these specimens measured 

 lo inches in height and had 45 flowers on it, with a large number of 

 buds undeveloped at the top. I now have hopes that the coming sea- 

 son may give opportunity to watch their development still farther, as 

 more of the seeds scattered in my yard may conclude, if they cannot 

 find the proper foster parent, to grow without one. — Isaac C. Mar- 

 TiNDALE, Camden, New Jersey. 



Some Arkansas Ferns. — Cheilanthes lanuginosa, Nutt., grows very 

 abundantly upon limestone cliffs in the northwestern part of Arkansas. 

 It can be found upon the escarpments of the wooded valleys that run 

 inland from White river. I have found it inland two miles or more, 

 and always on the north side of the valley in very dry situations, 

 though it seems to like the shelter of projections. Its habitat is about 

 the same as Notholcena dealhata, but I have never found them growing 

 together. Asplenium pannilum is one of our common species in 

 Arkansas. I have had this doubtful species under observation for sev- 

 eral years, and have never been able to find intermediate forms or any 

 reason for regarding it a variety of A. ebeneum. This species is found 

 on dry ledges in this region, a situation in which I have never seen 

 A. ebeneum. The latter is plentiful here but grows in rocky places in 

 shaded woods. I have observed both species growing within a few 

 feet of each other, in situations moist enough for both, and searched 

 for intermediate forms but without success. Each retained its charac- 

 teristics. 



Cystopteris bulbifera, Bernh , is a common form in the northern part 

 of Arkansas. Specimens from Benton county collected upon rocks in 

 moist places measured nearly two feet long. The species mentioned 

 above have never been reported from Arkansas, so far as I know. 

 IVoodwardia angustifolia may also be a'Ided, as I have seen specimens 

 collected in the swamps of southern Arkansas. — F. L. Harvey, Ark. 

 Ind. Univ., Eayette^nlle, Ark. 



Flora of Kerguelen's Land. — The question is asked in the March 

 number of the Gazeite, whether the flora of Kerguelen's Land, "in 

 which winged insects are either scarce or wanting," contains to any 

 extent " flowers having showy petals or other properties attractive to 

 winged insects." The elaborate recent memoir in the Transactions 

 of the Royal Society, London, may answer the question. There are 

 twenty one indigenous phaenogamous plants now known on Kergue- 

 len's Land. Not one of them is showy flowered; of those that have 

 petals at all the most conspicuous are the three species of Ranunculus^ 

 which in this respect are about equal to our R. Cymbalaria; the others 

 are Montia fontana, TiUera moschata and Limosella aguntica. — A. G. 



