1889.] BOTANICAL GAZETTE. 203 



growth carries the stamens upward. In the bud the style is uniformly 

 longer than the stamens, but later on it may be equal to or shorter. 



The pollen of this species is large and spherical, 47-50/', with several 

 prominent pores. There was no marked difference found between the 

 grains from stamens of various lengths. There was also no evident dif- 

 ference between the stigma of the pistil with styles of various heights. 



The remarkable difference between the pollen of the two Lithosper- 

 mums may have its value in classification. In no other instance have I 

 observed such wide dissimilarities in size, shape and markings within the 

 same genus. As a rule, the pollen of a genus follows the same type 

 with slight variations, except possibly in the matter of size. The differ- 

 ences might be termed generic, and in the proper classification the L. 

 angustifolium may well be separated from the genus containing the L- 

 canescens— in fact this is done in De Candolle's Prodromus, where the 

 L. angustifolium is one of the species constituting the genus Pentalophus. 

 Byron D. Halsted, Rutgers College, New Brunsivick, N. J. 



CURRENT LITERATURE. 



> 



Xlie genus Carex. 



No genus is more severely let alone by the average botanist than this 

 huge group of sedges. Our North American species have long been 

 studied by Prof. L. H. Bailey, and his views have been set forth in a se- 

 ries of papers, published mostly in this journal, and in his monograph, 

 which appeared among the Proc. Amer. Acad, publications for 1886. We 

 have before us his latest contribution 1 to this subject, after having had the 

 opportunity of seeing all the existing types of our North American spe- 

 cies. This has been so thoroughly done, that almost every name which 

 has been applied to N. Am. species is accounted for. This necessitates 

 very many changes, more than one likes to see, but they seem necessary 

 and presently the new names will be just as familiar as the old. It is 1 - 

 possible to pass an opinion oflf hand upon a work of this kind, for a critic 

 must have all the facts before him before his opinion is worth anything. 

 It is often injustice to a monographer to pass judgment too hastily upon 

 his work, for his opinions are the result of long and patient study, while 

 a flippant criticism is entirely unembarrassed by facts. Therefore, the 

 best test of such a work as that of Professor Bailey is its wearing power. 

 It would be impossible in this brief notice to mention even the principal 

 changes in nomenclature. In this connection the Torrey Botanical Club 

 should be congratulated upon the appearance of this initial number of its 

 proposed series of memoirs. It is a movement in the right direction, 

 and should be encouraged by the hearty support o f American botanists. 



>f the types of various species of the semis Carex. Memoirs 

 Vn i m». 85. Issued May '25, 1889, Price $1.00. 



— Studies 



