1907] CURRENT LITERATURE m1 
much as a teaspoonful, are often filled with this yellow slime. Some sorts of cane 
seem to be quite resistant to the disease, and in their use, as well as in taking care 
to avoid diseased cuttings or ‘‘seed cane,” are to be found the principal means of 
combating the disease. —E. Meap Wincox 
Items of taxonomic interest.—J. Huper (Boletim Mus. Goeldi 4:510- 
619. 1906), in his sixth paper on the plants of the Amazons, describes a new 
genus (Browneopsis) of Leguminosae (Caesalpineae).—F. S. Cotttns (Rhodora 
8: 189-196. 1906), in presenting a synopsis of the species of Acrochaetium and 
Chantransia in N. Am., describes 2 new species of the former.—B. L. RoBInson 
(idem 196-199), in discussing the nomenclature of the New England Lauraceae, 
shows that under the Vienna rules “spice bush” bears the name Benzoin aesti- 
vale (L.) Nees, and “‘sassafras”’ the name Sassafras variifolium (Salisb.) Ktze., 
thus happily getting rid of two ‘‘duplicate monomials;” and in the same issue 
(202-204) he shows that the well-known “queen of the prairie” (Spiraea lobata) 
becomes Filipendula rubra (Hill) Robinson.—J. C. ARTHUR (Bull. Torr. Bot. 
Club 33:513- 522. 1906) has described new species of Uredineae under Uromyces 
(2), Puccinia (2), Melampsora, Uredo (3), Caeoma, and Aecidium (3).—W. H. 
BLANCHARD (Rhodora 8: 169-180. 1906) has published 9 new species of Rubus 
from Maine.—M. L. FERNALD (idem 181-185) has published a new species and 
several new varieties of Carex from eastern N. Am.—D. Pratn (Annals of Botany 
20: 323-370. pls. 24-25. 1906) in a revision of Meconopsis recognizes 27 species, 
four being described as new; and ina revision of Cathcartia he recognizes 4 species, 
one of which is new.—In a fascicle of 27 papers on Weberbauer’s collections of 
Andean plants, edited by Icn. UNBAN (Engler’s Bot. Jahrb. 37:503-646. 1906), 
a large number of new species are described, and new genera are established in 
Leguminosae (Weberbauerella) by E. Utricu and in Asclepiadaceae (Steleo- 
slemma, Schistonema, Pentacyphus, Tetraphysa, Stelmatocodon) by R. SCHLECH- 
TER.—P. DreTreL (Ann. Mycol. 4:421-423. 1906) has described a new genus 
(Chnoopsora) of Uredineae from India.—T. D. A. CockERELL (Nature 75: 
7- 1906), in a note on “the evolution of the Colorado spiderwort,” incidentally 
describes and names a new species (T'radescantia wniversitatis).—J. M. C 
Scottish peat mosses —Under a grant from the Royal Society of Edinburgh, 
Francis J. Lewis has been investigating the plant remains in the Scottish peat 
mosses, and some of the results are now published.? In the southern uplands 
the peat in all the districts examined shows a definite stratification of plant 
remains, indicating a swing from woodland to heath and moss, and again to 
woodland. In some districts an arctic plant bed is interposed between the 
lower and upper woodland beds. The regularity of the sequence of the beds 
9 Francis, J. Lewis, The plant remains in the Scottish peat mosses. I. The 
Scottish southern uplands. Trans. Roy. S er 41:699~-723. pls. 6. 1905. 
Il. The Scottish Highlands. Zdem 45: ae pls. 4. 1906. 
The history of the Scottish peat mosses and date aie to the Glacial period. 
Scottish Geog. Mag. 1906: 241-252. 
