1902] CURRENT LITERATURE jS i 



of the available nutrition to the four sets of organs, no set ever being omitted 

 because of the low vitality. If one set of organs is abmodal, all the other 

 sets are likely to be abmodal, but especially the sets which follow. There is 

 a gradual loss of vigor from beginning to end of the flowering period, though 

 a slight recovery just before death was occasionally observed. Of all the 

 floral organs the stamens are most influenced numerically by the relative 

 vigor of the branch, the number being proportionately greater or less accord- 

 ing as the whole number of floral parts is above or below the mode. As a 

 result of this greater sensitiveness of the androecium, the flowers are rela- 

 tively more staminate at the beginning of the flowering season than at any 

 time thereafter. The degrees of constancy in the several sets of organs, 

 beginning with the highest, are in the order: sepals, petals, carpels, stamens. 

 A parallel is drawn between this condition and the relation of these parts to 

 the natural classification^ in which it is pointed out that sepals tend to be 

 constant in number through the larger subdivisions of the Spermatophytes, 

 petals in lesser divisions, carpels in the families, and that stamens are so 

 inconstant as to be of little use numerically in a natural classification. The 

 paper is a valuable contribution to our knowledge of floral variation, but the 

 discussions of the problem and the interpretation of the results are rendered 

 vague, and at times incomprehensible, by a diction which constantly suggests 

 the possession of psychic attributes by the various organs or sets of organs. 



G. H. Shull. 



4 



- Items of taxonomic interest are as follows : Arthur Hollick 



(Torreya 2 : 145-148. pis. 3-4. 1902) has described a new species of fossil 

 ferns from the Laramie group of Colorado in Anemia (2), Acrostichum, 

 Polystichum, Gleichenia, and Stenopteris.— T. D, A. Cockerell {idem 154) 

 has described a new Astragalus from New Mexico. — C. V. Piper (Bull. Torr. 

 Bot. Club 29:535-549. 1902), in discussing the biennial and perennial west 

 American species of Lappula, has described 9 new species. — V. S, White 

 {idem 550-563), in giving a preliminary list of fungi from Bar Harbor, Mount 

 Desert, Maine, has published new species of Hydnum (2) by H. J. Banker, 

 and of Boletus, Clitocybe, Cortinarius, and Flammula by C. H. Peck. — J. S. 

 Cotton (/^^/;^ 573-574) has described new species of Glyceria, Astragalus, 

 and Orthocarpus from Washington. — G. F. Atkinson (Jour. Mycol. 8 : 106- 

 107. 1902) has described two new genera of Basidiomycetes under the names 

 Tremellodendron (Tremellineae) and Eocronariiitm (Auriculariaceae), and 

 ^^o{ide7n iio-iig) 23 new species distributed among 16 genera. — G. P. 

 Clinton {idem 128-156) has published in preliminary form the results of his 

 studies of North American Ustilagineae, presenting a list of the species with 

 their hosts and distribution, and including descriptions of new species.— H. 

 Christ (Bull. Acad. Internat. Geog. Bot. 11:189-274. lqo2\ in giving an 

 account of the Chinese ferns collected by Pere Bodinier, under the title 

 Filices Bodinierianae, has described new species of Antroph) turn, Polypo- 



