RECENT BOTANICAL PUBLICATIONS, ETC. 179 
changes of names are the cause of great annoyance. I have 
received several letters from European correspondents, who 
feel at a loss to keep track of all these changes; especially 
when exchanging specimens with American Institutions. A 
recent letter complains that the same genera have been sent 
to Europe under several different names. And the same 
would be the case, of course, if specimens of Polygonum Con- 
volvulus were distributed by the Smithsonian Institution 
some under ‘the name Tiniaria, others as Bilderdykia and still 
others as Polygonum. Similarly, a recent change of Hierochloa 
would result in species if this genus being sent under the name 
of Hierochloa by Harvard University, Savastana by the New 
York Bot. Garden, and Torresia by the Smithsonian Institu- 
tion; for in the Flora of the Glacier National Park the last 
name, Torresia, is introduced by Professor Hitchcock as the 
oldest name. 
As the main points, which characterize this new Flora of 
the District of Columbia I have cited: I. The introduction of 
common words as substitutes for technical and unusual 
words. II. The species being based upon specimens in the 
National Herbarium, and III. The nomenclature being in 
accord with the American Code of botanical nomenclature. 
Would it not have served the purpose better, if this book as 
well as the Flora of Glacier National Park, had been written 
in conformity with scientific Botany? So far as concerns the 
Flora of D. C., this might have been written in the same 
style as the local Floras published abroad. Among these Flora 
Berolinensis by Kunth (1838), and Flora excursoria Haf- 
niensis by Drejer (1838) may be mentioned as examples. 
I wish also to refer to Schuyler Mathew’s excellent Field book 
of American wild flowers (new edition 1912). Thus if the 
new Flora of the District of Columbia and the Glacier Na- 
tional Park had been elaborated similar to the booklets men- 
tioned above some knowledge would certainly have been 
gained. But as the books are written, they contain little 
knowledge, and offer less. They actually “close the path to 
knowledge with a barrier” of wrong descriptions; wrong ap- 
plication of botanical terms; by following an inconsistent 
code of nomenclature; by including only such plants as are 
incorporated in the National Herbarium; by omitting many 
