496 SYNOPTICAL FLORA. OF NORTH AMERICA, ETC. 



value, to those who regard Gray as the greatest American syste- 

 matist ; and the more recent and in some respects more useful 

 Illustrated Flora does not render the Synoptical Flora unnecessary. 

 The fact that Dr. Robinson has been fortunate enough to secure 

 the co-operation of such men as Dr. Trelease, Dr. Coulter, and 

 Prof. L. H. Bailey — whose masterly monograph of Vitacea is a 

 model of what such things should be — gives a special value to his 

 undertaking, and shows that, while following on the lines of earlier 

 worliers, the most competent authorities on certain groups have 

 thrown in their lot with him. 



If one had to sum up the relative merits of the two Floras in a 

 single sentence, it would probably be said that Dr. Britton's was 

 the more useful for the fieM, and Dr. Eobinson's for the herbarium 

 and library. Dr. Britton's has the great advantage of having an 

 illustration of every species, and this, in spite of the weight of the 

 paper on which the volumes are printed, renders the book an in- 

 valuable travelling companion. Dr. Kobinson and his colleagues 

 give a much more extended bibliography of their plants, both under 

 genera and species, although they do not give dates as Dr. Britton 

 does — an omission which deteriorates from the usefulness of their 

 citations. A combination of the two works, were such a thing 

 possible, would result in a practically perfect Flora ; as it is we may 

 be thankful for the many excellences manifested by each. 



The want of agreement which, in spite of all that they have 

 written on the subject, still exists among American botanists with 

 regard to nomenclature is emphasized by the appearance of these 

 books. We cited Dr. Britton's present views when noticing the 

 first part of his Flora.''' Dr. Eobinson treats the matter more 

 briefly ; he contents himself by saying that " well-known generic 

 names have in some cases been conserved on the ground of usage, 

 notwithstanding lack of priority " : and "in the matter of specific 

 names, the aim has been to follow the so-called Kew Rule, except 

 when it leads to indefiniteness." We confess that we have never 

 been able to understand " the so-called Kew Rule," nor do we know 

 that it has been officially formulated. Our own sympathies, with 

 certain exceptions taken in the notice already cited, are with Dr. 

 Britton ; but Dr. Robinson is fully justified in his criticism of the 

 result of the precipitous and ill-considered action of the American 

 reformers, which, as he truly says, "has led to the hasty restoration 

 of a considerable number of names which have been again as quickly 

 abandoned." Even names published in the List of Pteridophyta, 

 &c. (1893-4) are set aside by Dr. Britton in his Flora in favour of 

 yet more recent combinations, and it is evident from certain contri- 

 butions to American periodicals that the game is still being carried 

 on with spirit. 



We are especially pleased to notice that Dr. Robinson's book 

 does not countenance the introduction of trinominals for varieties 

 in the manner which has become fashionable in American books. 

 The omission of the abbreviation "var." between the specific and 



* Journ. Bot. 1897, 202. 



