SHORT ARTICLES. 149 



Salicacese, Portulacese, Ficoidese, Phytolaccacese, Nyctaginaceae, 

 Illecebracese, Araaranthacese, Chenopodiaceae, and Polygonacese. 

 His suborder Sapindales includes Sapindacese, Sabiacese, Anacardi- 

 acese, Juglandacese, Betulacese, Fagaceae, Myricacese, Casuari- 

 nace8e(?). 



It is generally admitted that some families of the Apetalse are 

 "reduced" or at least have their nearest affinities with certain 

 Choripetalse, but other families are, with equal reason, it seems to 

 us, to be looked upon as primitive. The Oak Family, Cupuliferse, 

 Mr. Bessey has disposed well along the line of his "Calyciflorse 

 Inferse," which line begins with Resales. The woody fruit of the 

 oaks, the slow growth of the pollen-tube which has begun its journey 

 through the stykir tissue long before the formation of ovules, the 

 simple character of the flowers, their ancient geological history — 

 these and other features of this family, which is taken as an example, 

 have inclined us for many years to look upon them as primitive 

 plants. Dr. Bessey does not give reasons for the faith that is in 

 him, but the particular relationships in these suborders of dicotyle- 

 dons he promises to publish in a later paper. 



His phylogeuetic table shows for exogens two diverging lines; one 

 beginning with Ranunculacese and ending in Labiatae, the other 

 beginning with Rosaceae and ending in Compositae; each begins 

 with apocarpous, choripetalous plants with superior ovary; each 

 attains syncarpy and gamopetaly, the first remaining hypogynous, 

 the second becoming epigynous. — w. l. j. 



SHORT ARTICLES. 



Arenaria paludicola. — For some years Arenaria paludicola 

 Robinson (A. palustris Watson) has been believed to be extinct 

 around San Francisco, which is the type -locality of the species. 

 However, this is not so, as it was found quite abundant in a marsh 

 near the Presidio, early last summer, by Mr. J. W. Congdon. It 

 grows amid a clump of sedges and rushes in the marsh opposite the 

 Life-Saving Station between the Presidio and Fort Point. — Alice 

 Eastwood. 



