, 
178 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [aucust 
dependent upon climatic causes. What has been called the “suicidal mys 
tery of the flower” is graphically stated as follows: “When the given 
moment has come round, every plant of the same species, whether old or 
young, over avast region will put forth its flowers at one and the saine moment, 
and, having seeded, for a time the plant disappears.” A curious instance is 
given of this phenomenon observed under cultivation. In 1867 or 1868 
Arundinaria Japonica began to bloom in Paris; ‘at the same moment” blos- 
soms were noted on the plants at Marseilles ; and even those in the gové 
ment gardens at Algiers ‘flowered in concert with their European brethren 
and not only did the whole of the canes, old as well as young, bear flowers — 
together, but the very shoots (three to four inches high) as they showed above 
the soil, were transformed into flowering stems.” In this case, however, the 
plants were not killed, but very much weakened; for a long time “remain B 
paralyzed.” Mr. Mitford has observed that only those species are hardy in 
England whose leaves show “tessellated” venation, that is, “in chequers, 
crossing one another like the threads of a spider’s web or the meshes of anet. 
The tender species observed all have leaves with the ordinary “striat 
venation. Mr. Mitford has also observed this same tessellation in the lea | 
of the only hardy palm of England (Chamarops excelsa), and its absence 
the tender palms. Mr. Thiselton-Dyer is quoted as remarking that * o 
must be something important behind a character like this.” 
The book is handsomely gotten up in white buckram and gilt, om @™ 
paper with deckel edges. The full-page illustrations by Alfred Parsons 
charming.—J. M. C. - 
The Bonn text-book. 
WHEN four of the botanical staff of the University of Bonn com 
write the text-book which, fifteen months after the first, appeared im 
edition,‘ they owed it to their readgrs to choose a more distinctive 
Lehrbuch der Botanik.. One cannot cite it now in any decently briet 
must perforce reel off the list of author’s names like 4 catalogue 
is i and that ofte 
text-book at all comparable-with it has been produced in 
unless we much mistake, it is destined to be of somewhat t 
the present generation as Sachs’ classical Lehrbuch was to te rs 
excellence carried it through four German and two English editions 
others in other languages, while it directly inspired and formed the 
for various texts by different authors. Much of the excellence of : 
‘STRASBURGER, Nott, SCHENCK, and ScHIMPER :—Lehrbuch der! 
Hochschullen. Zweite umgearbeitete Auflage. 8vo. pp- vi+556. figs 5 . 
colored. Jena: Gustav Fischer. 1895. J/. 7.50 unbound; 47. 8.50 bound: 
tle 
he same 
