1907] CURRENT LITERATURE 3 it 



by a modicum of the new. In fact, the author seems to regard modem morpholo- 

 gists as perhaps too narrow in their vision to possess the proper perspective for a 

 general text. As a result, the two volumes now published are distinctly not up 

 to date from the standpoint of modern morphology. 



The first volume (pp. 277), issued in 1905, is introduced by general discus- 

 sions of questions that are not current in modern laboratories, however interesting 

 they may have been during the domination of the Goethean morphology. The 

 main part of the volume consists of '*Die Morphologie der Kryptogamen," The 

 illustrations are well selected and many of them are original. The ground has 

 evidently been well traversed in the laboratory but not in recent literature, for the 

 text gives a distinct impression of long isolation. Why do so many botanists 

 fail to see the incongruity of such a series of names for coordinate groups as 

 "A. Thallophyten," **B. Charophyta," "C. Moose," **D. Gefasskryptogamen" ? 



The second volume (pp. 454), issued in 1907, presents "Die Morphologie der 

 Phanerogamen," in so far as the vegetative organs are concerned. The main 

 divisions are "Die Keimpflanze," "Die Wurzel," "Das Blatt," "Die Achse," 

 and "Die Trichome." The general attitude is indicated by the subdivisions 

 under "Seedlings," which are as follows: seedlings of polycotyls, of monocotyls, 

 of stemless plants, of acotylous plants. 



The third volume is to contain the morphology of the "phanerogam flower" 



and a system of classification, besides a general index. 



The work will undoubtedly prove a most interesting one for reference, especially 



for the younger generation of morphologists.— J, M. C. 



MINOR NOTICES 



North American Flora.— The first part of volume xxv has just appeared, 

 being the fifth part published. It contains four of the sixteen fagiilies of Ger- 

 aniales, the order with a synopsis of its families being presented by J. K. SiiALL. 

 The Geraniaceae, by L. T. Hanks and J. K. Small, contain four genera, a new 

 genus Rohertiella being founded on Geranhim Rohertianum. The species of Ger- 

 anium number sixty-four, of which twenty-three are new, and Erodium and 

 Pelargonium each contain six species. The Oxalidaccae, by J. K. Small, con- 

 tain ten genera, Hesperoxalis, Otoxahs, and Bolboxalis being new and monotypic. 

 The other genera are Oxalis (3 spp., i new), lonoxalis (65 spp., 28 new), Monox- 

 alis (2 spp., I new), Lotoxalis (n spp., i new), Xanthoxalis (26 spp., i new), 

 Biophytum (i sp.), and Averrhoa (2 spp.). The Er}'throxyIaceae, by N. L. 

 Brixton, represented by the single genus Er}'throxylon, contains twenty-eight 

 species, one of which is new. The Linaceae, by J. K. Small, contain four genera, 

 Hesperolinon being a new genus established on Linum § Hesperolinan Gray. 

 The genera are Linum (5 spp.), Cathartolinum (48 spp., 10 new and all but one 

 of the remainder transferred from Linum by Small), Hesperolinon (9 spp.), 

 and Reinwardtia (i sp.). — ^J. ]\L C. 



