I»i ERYTHKA. 



"Wild Flag Lily" {Iris spp.): "Ladies' Chewing Tobacco" (Fcenicu- 

 um vidgare); the buds and very young leaves have for many yearst 

 been prized by California school-children, who chew them as Swee- 

 Flag is chewed by eastern children: "Maiden's Tear" (Pellcea andro- 

 vnedcefolia): "Pin Bloom" (Sanicula bipinnatifida): "Star Flower" 

 {Trientalis). — J. Burtt Davy. 



OPEN LETTERS. 



Larrea Mexicana North of the Tehachapai Houn tains. — 



I send you under another cover some branches of a solitary bush 

 [Larrea Mexicana, Moricandjthat grows out on the Tulare- Plains. 

 I believe, that it may contain some medicinal properties. ... It 

 is called "Dead man's bush" from the fact,, that a man was found 

 dead near it twelve or fifteen years ago. I believe^ that the seed 

 may have been in his pocket and grown the year after he died, or 

 lie may have been poisoned by eating some of its leaves. Anyway, 

 his remains were found torn to pieces by the coyotes, long after his 

 Yours respectfully, A. A. Still. 



Annette, Kern County, California, 

 February 7, 1898. 



NEWS-NOTES AND CURRENT COMMENT. 



A revision of Lilseopsis (Crantzia), by J. M. Coulter and J. N. 

 Eose, appeared in the Botanical Gazette for July, 1897. The fruit 

 and section of the fruit of the four species of the genus are figured ; 

 L. occidental-is from Oregon and Washington being described as 

 new. 



The eighth annual report of the Missouri Botanical Garden is 

 largely devoted to insular botany. It contains the following scientific 

 papers: "The Mosses of the Azores" and "Mosses Collected in 

 Madeira, by William Trelease in June, 1896," by J. Cardot ; and 

 " Botanical Observations on the Azores," by William Trelease. 



The degree of Master of Arts has been conferred by Harvard 

 University upon Mr. C. E. Faxon, for his attainments in science 



