13O BOTANICAL GAZETTE. [May. 



linger in turning. Around this irregular and lenticular body the stamens 

 are arranged with one at each narrow edge and two midway upon each 

 side. The two stamens at the edges have each two lobes, while the other 



four are half stamens. Each pair of half stamens has the two anthers, 

 that is, half anthers, so placed together as to seem like a single sta- 

 men. However, each has its filament, which starts from a higher point 

 upon the receptacle than the full-sized stamen and then arches consider- 

 ably below it. This is particularly evident in Dicentra spectabilis. 

 When the petals are removed the stamens and pistil together have some- 

 what the appearance of a Jew's-harp. Each bow consists of a single whole 

 stamen filament and the filament of a half stamen upon each side. 



Transverse sections through the capitate stigma reveals the fact that 

 there are, in addition to the large protuberances upon the edge of the 

 stigma, a number of small ones over the sides of these protuberances. 

 As the transverse sections show, these small projections extend into the 

 cavities of the dehisced anthers, and as the flower matures the stamens 

 draw down, due to the peculiar arched shape of the filaments or from the 

 prolongation of the style, or both. As a result, the rough surface of the 

 -tigma becomes the portion bearing the pollen at the time when the 

 flower is ready for the visitation of insects.— Byron D. Halsted, Rutgers 

 College, New Brunswick, N. J. 



Erysimum cheiranthoides.— This crucifer, not listed in the Michi- 

 gan catalogue of Wheeler and Smith, I found June 28, 1888, quite abun- 

 dant on low, muddy ground, near the Au Sable river, Grayling. Al- 

 though not far from a road, it appeared to be indigenous. 



Prof. L. H. Bailey found it growing near Lansing about ten years 



ago. 



C. I v. Dodge found it near Port Huron last season, also. 



These are the only known localities in the state.— G. H. Hicks, 



Owosso 



EDITORIAL. 



Americans are progressive. They do not fail to remind themselves 

 of the fact often, and in the reiteration quite lose sight of the progress 

 made by the rest of the world in lines little or not at all developed in this 

 country. Why we have almost no botanical gardens, while in Europe 

 all large institutions for higher education and many large cities consider 

 them essential to full prosperity, is worth considering. It is not solely 

 because we are a young nation, for Australia has gardens established in 

 the early days of the colonies which, under the fostering care of munici- 

 pal governments, have become spots of rare loveliness, and according to 

 the estimate of the people are as useful and profitable as they are attract- 



