175 BOTANICAL GAZETTE. 



The "Skunk Cabbage" of California rejoices in the name of 

 Lysichiton Kamtschatccusis. 



LefH/ia Tflr?eyi o{ \\\t Manual is L. Va/diviatia, Philippi ; and we 

 are reminded that L. polyrrhiza was long since changed to Speirodela 

 polyrrhiza. 



Two genera of palms are described, Washiugtonia and Eiythea. 



Of the genus G?;rx we find 78 species, some 10 or 1 1 being 

 described here for the first time by Mr. Wm. Boott. 



VVe confess to a good deal of interest in looking over the Grainin- 

 ece by Dr. Geo. Thurber. Not so many changes appeared as we had 

 anticipated and we were ghd to see that the ordinary terms were em- 

 ployed and not those involving theoretical views of the structure of 

 the flowers. Several new species are well distributed among as many 

 genera. Brizopyrum spkatiim aj^pears as Distichlis maritima. 



Ophioglossacece appears as an order distinct from Filices. The 

 progress in our knowledge of the classification of Ferns has been 

 noted from time to time in reviews of Prof. Eaton's great work. 



The genus Azolla instead of, as usual, appearing under the order 

 MarsiliacccB, is separated under the order Salviniacece. 



That the flora of Cilifornia has not been exhausted is witnessed 

 by the fact that during the four years that have elapsed between the 

 publication of the two volumes, new material enough has been col- 

 lected to make over 60 pages of "Additions and Corrections." In 

 these 60 pages of course we find the very latest information. The 

 California Traidveiteria is made a distinct species and now the genus 

 stands with three species, or.e on the Atlantic coast, one on the Pa- 

 cific, and one in Japan. A new species is described under Diccntra, 

 Corydalis, Trifolium, Rosa, while Draba has three additions. A new 

 genus of Cnicifcrce is dedicated to Mr. Leland Stanford, one of ih.e 

 patrons of the "Botany of California." It is called Staufordia. A 

 good many Composiicc are added, largely the result, we suppnse. of 

 Dr. Gray's recent study of that vast order. On page 485, JErvihca, 

 Mr. Watson's genus of Palms, is unfortunately printed Erythrca, 

 which makes it look too much like Erythnva. 



All botanists should possess this complete work which is exceed 

 ingly cheap when we consider the matter and workmanshijx By ad- 

 dressing Mr. Sereno Watson at Cambridge, Mass., botanists can i)ro- 

 cure either or boch volumes at $5.00 each. - J. M. C. 



Francis Darwin on Physiology of Plants. — Abstracts of two 

 important pn])ers read by Francis Darwin before the Linnean S ciety, 

 api)ear in Nature for Dec. 23.* "Both bear on the relationship be- 

 tween the external and internal conditions of life, between external 

 forces such as light and gravitation, and the constitution of the organ- 

 ism on which these forces act." 



I. The behavior ot leaves under the action of light may be illus- 



*I. "The Povvor poPsesRed by Leaves of plaeinn; themselves at Right Angles to the Di- 

 rection of Incident Light." II. "The Theory of the Urowth of Cuttings, illui-trated hy oh- 

 servatiouB ou the Branil)lc, RiibuttfnttkoxitK."' 



