l89I, J Current Literature. 183 



Baillon's " Histoire ties Plantes." 



The tenth volume of this great work, bearing the imprint of 1891, is 

 at hand, and the American botanist always turns over its handsome 

 pages with the greatest interest to discover the changes which affect 

 his own plants. The present volume contains 476 pages, with 335 

 figures in the text, the families treated being Bignoniaceae, Gesneria- 

 ceae, Gentianaceae, Apocynaceae, Asclepiadaceae, Convolvulaceae, Pole- 

 moniaceae, Boraginaceae, and Acanthaceae. In a somewhat hasty 



examination the following facts were noted with reference to North 

 American plants: 



Gentianaceae.— Frasera Walt, is included under Swertia L. 



Apocynaceae. — Our single species of Trachelospermum is referred 

 to Forsteronia G. F. W. Mey.; while the genus Gelsemium is included, 

 having been transferred from Loganiaceas. 



Asclepiadaceae. — A wholesale merging of genera is made, by 

 including Gomphocarpus, Asclepiodora, Anantherix, Podastigma, Schizo- 

 notus, and Acerates under Asdepias. Vincetoxicum Mcench is placed 

 under Cynanchum L. 



Convolvulaceae. — Calystegia R. Br. is restored to generic rank, and 

 Banamia Dup.-Th. replaces Breweria R. Br. 



Polemoniaceae. — Collomia Nutt. is restored to generic rank, and all 

 that was formerly Gilia becomes Navarretia Ruiz & Pav. Thus the 

 name of one of our largest North American genera disappears, and a 

 large harvest of species awaits the writer who first lists our species of 



Navarretia. How Collomia is kept distinct is not at all clear to the 

 writer. 



Boraginaceae.— As is to be expected, the greatest changes are to be 

 found in this much worked over group, and they are exceedingly hard 

 to follow in any hasty review. However, the following facts seem 

 clear: The whole family Hydrophyllacece appears under Boraginacei?, 

 and a well known ordinal name thus disappears. Echinospermum 

 Swartz becomes Lappula Mcench. Eritrichium Schrad. again appears 

 Wl th a part of its former* species. Cryptanthe Lehm. also contains 

 some former Eritrichiums. Pipto calyx Torr. stands for Krxnitzkia 

 Fisch. & Meyer. Professor Greene's genera Eremocarya, Oreocarya, 

 Allocarya, and Sonnea are admitted, containing species variously 

 referred heretofore to Eritrichium and Krynitzkia. Plagiobothrys 

 Fisch. & Mey. is maintained, and includes Echidiocarya Gray. Hydro- 



Juss. With such an 



phyllum becomes Hydrophyllon. Nemoph 



EtHsia L. Draperia Torr. goes to Ph ,— 



upheaval in our generic lines it will be a work of considerable diffi- 

 cu 'ty to properly locate our species. 



Acanthaceae.— Gatesia Gray is reduced to Dianthcra L. 



