220 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [ SEPTEMBER 
have to be very strong. We cannot help but feel that while the observations 
recorded in these “‘studies’’ are of great interest, some of the conclusions are 
entirely too sweeping. The occurrence of centrosomes in the higher plants 
is far from settled, and the occurrence of a multipolar phase as neces- 
sarily antecedent to the bipolar phase of a spindle may be regarded as still 
an open question, 
The result of these ‘‘studies” will be to stimulate investigation greatly 
rather than to command immediate belief in the more important conclusions, 
and investigation is always more important than belief.—J. M. C 
MINOR NOTICES. 
T. D. A. CockERELL‘ has published a remarkably full list of the food 
plants of scale insects. The preparation of the summary has emphasized 
two facts, viz., “the unexpected number of coccids found on many of the 
cultivated trees and shrubs, and the frequency with which species dangerous 
to fruit trees will occur on ornamental plants, which may be carried from 
place to place and be the means of disseminating the scales."—J. M.C 
THE FOURTH PART of Flora Franciscana’ has just appeared, and is 
devoted to the Composite. As Professor Greene has been much concerned 
with various sections of this great group, it is of great interest to have the 
results of his studies brought together, so far as they can be within the limited 
range of this work. Space forbids mention of the numerous shiftings of 
generic boundaries and the new species described. Many of the author's 
views of the genera of Composite have been published already, but the con- 
tribution before is contains much new material. The richness of the Cali- 
fornian flora may be judged by the fact that the portion of it represented in 
this F/ora contains 113 genera of Composite, and 492 species. The general 
character of the composite flora may be judged from the following summary 
of the number of species under each of the ten groups called ‘“sub-orders,”” 
and named as follows: Eupatoriacee g, Asteraceze 149, Gnaphaliacee 30, 
Ambrosiacee 7, Helianthacee 29, Madiacee 79, Helenioidez 76, Anthemi- 
dez 25, Senecionidex 59, Cynarocephalz 29.—J. M.C. 
NOTES FOR STUDENTS. 
ITEMS OF TAXONOMIC INTEREST are as follows: Karl M. Wiegand® has 
been studying Galium trifidum and its North American allies, and finds that 
this reputed ‘variable species” is a ng of forms. He has used the form 
4 Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 19: 725-78 
5 GREENE, Epwarp L.—Flora ins An attempt to classify and describe 
the vascular plants of middle California. Part IV. Pp. 353- syed San Francisco + 
pat Upham & Co. London: William Wesley & Son. 1897. $I. 
ull. Torr. Bot. Club 24 : 389-403. sia 
