BOTANY. 289 



to offer a field for practical exi)eriiiieutation. It may further be seen 

 that the most fertile soil does uot always produce the most prolific seed, 

 since in the examples cited the njaxiinum result was not attained where 

 seed was grown contiiuiously upon the same soil nor upon luTinus soils 

 of great fertility. From this it appears that what may be best for the 

 individual may not prove the optimum for the race. 



It is urged that in the selection of seed the chemical nature of the 

 soil where it is grown should be considered as an imi)ortaut factor. 

 Continually growing seed upon the same soil under identical (!onditions 

 is liable to produce a degenerate race, and to this factor is due the 

 necessity of a renewal of seed from time to time. This also will account 

 for the otherwise unexplained disappearance of rare plants from their 

 known habitats. 



In general, seed grown in a more northern latitude when transferred 

 to a given region will produce varieties more adapted to maintain them- 

 selves and produce larger yields than those grown in that region. 



Continued reproduction in situ is unfavorable both as regards the 

 yield and stability of the race or types, since the number and average 

 weight of seed tends to diminish. "Natural i)henomena, even those 

 apparently of slight consequence, may, through their continued and 

 general application, produce a considerable effect upon plants and 

 animals.'' 



Concerning a new system of plant classification, F. Delpino (Mem. EeaU 

 Accad. Set. Bologna, ser. 5, G (ISDG), pp. 8G-110; ahs. in Bvt. Centbl., 67 {1S06), No. 12, 

 pp. 370-374). 



Comparative anatomy of some species of Carex and their hybrids, G. Marg- 

 GRAFF {Leipzig, 1S90, pp. 09, jj/s. 4; ahs. in Boi. Centbl., OS {1S9G), No. 2, pp. 50-52). 



A new species of grass in Great Britain, G. C. Druce {Jour. Linn. Soo. Bot., 32 

 {1896), pp. 426-430). — Bromiis interruptus, n. sp., is described. 



Roseanthus, a new genus of Cucurbitaceae, A. Cogxiaux ( U. S. Dept. Agr., 

 Division of Botany, Contrihniions from V. S. National Rerharium, vol. 3, No. 9, pp. 577, 578, 

 pi. 1). — Roseantlius albiflorus is described and figured as new. The plant came Irom 

 AcapulcOj Mexico. 



A revision of the genus Silene, F. N. Williams {Jour. Linn. Soo. Bot., 32 {1896), 

 pp. 1-196). 



Crepis occidentalis and its allies, F. V. Coville {U. S. Dept. Agr., Division of 

 Botany, Contributions from U. S. National Herbarium, vol. 3, No. 9, pp. 559-565, ph. 6). — 

 A critical study is made of this polymorphous species and souie of the forms are 

 separated as new species. 



Liebergia, a new genus of Umbelliferae, J. M. Coulter and J. N. Rose {U. S. 

 Dept. Agr., Division of Botany, Contributions from U. S. National Herbarium, vol. 3, No, 9, 

 pp. 575, 576, pi. 1). — A new umbellifer from the Columbia River region is figured aud 

 described. 



Notes on Uromyces amygdali, a synonym of Puccinia pruni, 1). McAlpixe 

 {Proc. Linn. Soc. New South Wales, In {IS9i!), No. 3, pp. 440-460, pis. 3). 



New species of fungi, C. H. Peck {Torrey Bui., 23 {1896), No. 10, pp. 411-420).— 

 Twenty-five new species are described, most of w^hich are from the United States. 



Redescriptions of Berkeley's types of fungi, (4. Massee {Jour. Linn. Soc. Bot., 

 31 {1896), No. 218, pp. 462-525, pis. 3). 



