364 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [ MAY 
abundant spores in an atmosphere of nitrogen. In the hydrogen atmosphere, 
on the other hand, there appeared only a very meager growth of the colonies, 
without a trace of spores. From these observations Klett opposes the more 
commonly accepted view that the presence of free oxygen is a necessary 
condition for the formation of spores in the anthrax bacillus, and holds that 
spores cannot be formed in an atmosphere of hydrogen owing to the retard- 
ing effect of this gas upon the growth of the colonies. He further concludes 
that it is not the presence or absence of oxygen that determines the growth 
and the development of spores in the bacillus, but that every gas has its 
specific influence in this respect. € paper is a most interesting and valu- 
able contribution to the controversy of spore formation in anthrax, and it 
also has an important bearing on many experiments where hydrogen, con- 
sidered as an inert gas, has been employed to bring about an anaerobic con- 
dition.—A. A. LAwSson. 
ITEMS OF TAXONOMIC INTEREST are as follows: L. DIELS (Engler’s Bot. 
Jahrb. 29:577—659. 1901) has completed his account of the flora of central 
China, the closing part extending from Bignoniaceae to Compositae. Besides 
numerous new species, Kolkwitzia (Caprifoliaceae) and Hoeckia (Valeri- 
anaceae) are described by Graebner as new genera.—O. E. SCHULZ (idem 
660-735. /s. 6-8) has published a monograph of Je/ilotus. A discussion of 
the history, morphology, teratology, biology, and geographical distribution of 
the genus is followed by a detailed presentation of the twenty-two recognized 
species, three of which are new.—S. SoMMIER and E, LEvIER (Acta Horti 
Petropolitani 16 : 1-586. /s. 7-49. 1900) have published an elaborate account 
of the plants collected in the Caucasus in 1890, illustrated by forty-nine fine 
lithographic plates. The list includes cryptogams as well as seed plants. More 
than a hundred new species are described, and still more numerous new 
varieties.— W. Lipsky (¢dem 18:1-146. 1900), in a contribution to the flora 
of middle Asia, has described numerous new species, and with them two 
new genera of Umbelliferae, Korshinskia and Galagania.— N. L. BRITTON 
(Torreya 1:21. rgor) has described a new Senecio (S. Crawfordiz) from 
Pennsylvania.— M. L. FERNALD (Rhodora 3 : 43-56. 1901) has published a 
synopsis of the northeastern species of Carex of the subsection Vesicariae, 
recognizing eleven somewhat polymorphic species and describing seven new 
varieties.— F. LAMSON-SCRIBNER (Div. Agrost. Circ. 30. 8 Mr 1got) has 
igi Sus new species of lespane he Gc cate, Bouteloua (2), and Danthonia, 
—E. L. Morris (Bull. Torr. 
Bot. Club 28 : 112-122. Db £2. Igor), in his second paper on N, Am. Plantagi- 
naceae, has described six new species of Plantago.—G. N. Best (dem 
123-131. Pls. 17-74), in a revision of the N. Am. Species of Heterocladium, 
recognizes six species and varieties, three of which are described as new.— 
J. Me &. 


