506 The Botanical Gazette. [November, 
The Synoptical Flora of North America. 
When in the year 1878 Dr. Asa Gray’s Synoptical Flora began 
to appear, botanists the world over hoped that the distinguished 
author would be permitted to complete it in a few years. In this way 
his vast experience with North American plants could be brought to 
the aid of subsequent botanists. The gamopetalous orders after Com- 
posite were the first to appear; then in 1884 the remaining gamope- 
talous orders. In 1886 a revision of these two parts, representing all 
our Gamopetalz, was issued by the Smithsonian Institution. Ever 
Since this has been the only part of our flora presented with any com- 
groups had been deferred, and these Dr. Watson was working upon 
at his death, in 1892. Now, seventeen years after the appearance of 
volume IT, part I, the first fascicle of volume I, part I, has appeared,* 
under the editorship of Dr. Robinson, the third editor. 
Dr. Robinson’s task was a difficult one, for not only was he called 
upon to continue the work of our greatest systematist with work of 
reasonably equal quality, but he was compelled also to adopt a style 
of presentation not his own. It can be said without reserve that he 
has succeeded admirably, and that the part before us is a worthy com- 
ago, while its great body of facts comes to us as the really desirable 
thing after all. The reviewer cannot but remember that Dr. Gray 
was a very progressive man, and is inclined to think that his successors 
have been handicapped by a rigid tradition. 
Among the seventeen orders presented, interest naturally centers 
about the two largest, Ranunculacez and Cruciferz, the former being 
the work of Dr. Gray, the latter the joint work of Drs. Watson and Rob- 
inson. An excellent editorial feature is found in the numerous foot- 
_ * Gray, Asa; Watson, SERENO; and Rosinson, Benjamin LINCOLN: Synop- 
tical Flora of North America, Vol. I, Part I, Fascicle 1. Polypetale from the 
Ranunculacez to the Frankeniacez, American Book Co., New York, Cincia- 
nati, and Chicago. Issued October 10, 1895. 
