ENTOMOLOGIST AND BOTANIST. 



191 



EDITORIAL JOTTINGS. 



In a receut trip through Southern Illinois we 

 made a few botanical notes, which we give our 

 readers. The low bottom lands near the Oh-o 

 and Mississippi rivers are heavily timbered. 

 One of the commonest trees is the American or 

 "White Elm (Ulnms Americana, L.) This has 

 just passed the flowering stage. The Red Maple 

 {Acer rubrum, L.) occurs frequently, and is 

 also just out of flower. The Sweet Gum 

 {Liquidambar) is abundant in many localities, 

 a large number of the prickly fruit-balls still 

 remain upon the tree. That vegetable thief, the 

 Mistletoe iPhoradendron flavescens, Nutt.), 

 seems to have a particular attachment to the 

 Elm trees, occurring much more frequently on 

 them than on any other tree. It grows also on 

 the Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis, L.), on 

 the Red Maple {Acer rubrum, L.), on the Black 

 Gum {Nyssa multiflora, Wang.), and on some 

 other trees. Some large Elms seemed loaded 

 with this parasite, a hundred or more bunches 

 growing upon one tree. These masses of yel- 

 lowish-green vegetation give the trees a peculiar 

 appearance. 



In many cases the small branches of the 

 Sweet Gum were covered with broad corky 

 ridges ; sometimes this occurred only on the 

 lower limbs, and in other cases all the branches 

 were free from the excrescence. These corky 

 ridges are much like those which occur on the 

 Winged Elm ( U/mus alata) which also grows 

 in the same places. 



On rocky ledges at Cobden we found old 

 fronds of some interesting ferns, viz. : Cheil- 

 anthes vestita, Swartz, Polypodium incanum, 

 Swartz, Asplenium ebeneum, Ait., and Aspleni- 

 um trichomanes, L. Old stalks were also 

 abundant of the False Aloe {Agave Virginica, 

 L.) This plant sends up a large and preten- 

 tious stalk, but its flowers are insignificant. 

 Patches of the small cane {Arundinaria tacia, 

 Muhl.) were frequently visible, and at first sight 

 might be mistaken for small willow bushes. The 

 low and swampy grounds are everywhere be- 

 coming verdant with extensive patches of the 

 Copper-colored Iris {Iris cujjrea, Pursh). 



Many other rare plants occur in this region, 

 of which we shall probably have occasion to 

 speak hei'eafter. 



Many plants could not be perpetuated but for 

 the agency of insects, and especially of bees ; 

 and it is remarkable that it is chiefly those which' 

 require the aid of this intervention that have a 

 uectarium and secrete honey. 



NOTES PROM CORRESPONDENTS, 



We have the following notes from Mr. E. 

 Hall, of Menard county, Ills., and commend 

 his inquiries and observations to the attention 

 of our readers : 



Ground Jlut—{Apios tuberosa, Blrench).— Will the 

 readers of this journal everywhere, during the coming 

 season, make observations on the Iruiting of tliis vine, 

 and will those who are so fortunate as to tind it in fruit 

 examine carefully and report the conditions under 

 which they so find It? Its habit of reproducing itself 

 from the tubers is the supposed cause of its general 

 infertility; and when found In fruit the tubers should 

 l)e carefully unearthed, and their development and 

 health noted, as well as their connections with the plant. 

 I have only once met with this plant in fruit in the State 

 of Kansas, and where I had no opportunity to examine 

 the development of its tubers. Its flowers are very 

 fragrant, thus attracting insects that may destroy the 

 fertilizing elements of the female organs by undue 

 irritation, or by producing premature dissemination 

 of the pollen; but, whatever the cause, careful and 

 patient observation will detect it. 



Quercus alba-macrocarpa. — A true hybrid, 

 perfectly fertile, is growing near Athens, in Menard 

 county, Ills. The mother tree was undoubtedly Q. 

 maerocarpa of the variety called olivaformU, as young 

 specimens, apparently of the same age as the hybrid of 

 that species, are or were growing in its vicinity. In 

 general character its paternal blood largely predomi- 

 nates, its maternal characters are chiefly notable in the 

 fruit, the younger branches, and in the form and 

 pubescence of its leaves. From these several charac- 

 ters its parentage is readily traced, and it aff"ordsa most 

 interesting instance of a fertile hybrid of these two 

 distinct species of oaks. 



The genus Quercus in inenard County, Ills. 

 — The species of this genus here have prevalence in 

 about the following proportions : 



White Oak ( Quereus alba), 33 per cent. 



Yellow and Scarlet Oaks {Q. coccinea), 25 per cent. 



Red Oak (Q. rubra), 10 per cent. 



Burr Oak {Q. maerocarpa), 10 percent. 



I^aurel Oak [Q. imh-icaria) , r> per cent. 



Black Jack (Q. nigra), 3 per cent. 



Pin Oak (<;. palustris), >„' per cent. 



Swamp White OakiQ. prmos, var.), },{ per cent. 



I have placed the Yellow and Scarlet Oaks together 

 from the fact that the species are not easily known or 

 readily separated; even good botanists are often puz- 

 zled to disciiminate between them, and some have 

 doubted the existence of both species, but the weight 

 of opinion is at present in their favor. Their specific 

 dift'erences are to be sought chiefly in what might be 

 called constitutional characters. Eleven-eighteenths of 

 the species of the Northern United States east of the Mis- 

 sissippi are represented in this locality— a much greater 

 proportioQ than the general flora of the same region — 

 showing that these kings of the forest have somewhat 

 equal powers in competing for existence under the 

 conditions here pievailing. Since the settlement of the 

 county a new generation is springing up, which is 

 somewhat differently proportioned. The above esti- 

 mates are for the original forests. 



