54 The Ottawa Naturalist. [June-July 



Such genera as Isoetes, Potamogeton; Juncus, Carex, Rubus, 

 and especially Crataegus, have revealed an amazing wealth of 

 species. Everybody knows the hawthorn, and appreciates it 

 more or less, but very few would suppose that the American 

 species nov\' ntimber about 1,000.^ The joint work of C. S. 

 Sargent and J. G. Jack have shown the limestone ridges of 

 Montreal and the contiguous shales to be one of the richest 

 regions in the whole world in forms of Crataegus. Although 

 there is much yet to do in the genus, it can already be foreseen 

 that the new Flora of Quebec will be bound to include as many 

 as 60 or 70 species. 



I do not wonder now about my perplexities while first 

 trying to separate the Longueuil Crataeg.i with Provancher as a 

 guide. It was only when I opened the pages of the seventh 

 edition of Gray's Manual, and when I was made acquainted 

 with Mr. C. S. Sargent, that I began to understand something 

 regarding them. 



Provancher believed the distribution of plants in Canada 

 to be zonal, according to latitude, and, conseqtiently, to be 

 approximately identical from the Atlantic to the Pacific; this 

 belief he had in mind when he entitled his work "Flore 

 Canadienne." This generalization has not proved successful. 

 We know to-day, by the collections of Macoun and others, that 

 the prairie region, the Rockies, the Pacific slope, have each a 

 distinct flora, and a "Canadian Flora" embodying the whole 

 of the territory, would be an immense enterprise. 



Properly speaking, Provancher covers but the central 

 portion of the Province of Quebec. The list, with analytical 

 keys, annexed by Abbe Moyen to his own " Traite de Botaiiique," 

 though more complete, is yet fragmentary, and must undergo 

 the very serious criticism of lacking the descriptions necessary 

 to every one except the trained specialist. 



I think that the demand is for a new " Flore Illustree de la 

 Province de Quebec," embodying the Ungava territory, and 

 brought up to the present state of botanical science. 



Such a publication is no easy task. Diifictilties are numerous, 

 and foremost among them would be the cost of production, 

 including the necessary illustrations. These latter alone would 

 cost a large sum. I hardly think that any private enterprise 

 in this line would be possible. It seems that the Provincial 

 Government should take charge of the work, through one of its 

 departments, subsidizing it as the work goes on. 



Brother M. Victorin, 

 Longueuil College, P.O., of Christian Schools. 



March 24th, 1914. 



