138 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [PepReur 
Aquilegia, new species of Iris, Montia, and Newberrya, and three newspecs: 
of Arctostaphylos. The Royal Botanic Gardens of Trinidad has begun 
publication’ of descriptions of the ferns of the British West Indies 
Guiana, by G. S. Jenman, government botanist of the Colony of Brit 
Guiana. The first fascicle contains Hymenophyllum and Trichomanes tt 
former represented by twenty-nine species (two of which are new), thelate 
by forty-two species (one of which is new). Mrs. Katherine Brandegee*t 
begun a valuable series of papers entitled ‘‘Notes on Cactez.” The is 
number discusses the forms of Lower California, concerning which the ale 
is specially competent to speak. The race for new African species is becom 
Natal plants ;”" the work directed by Engler has resulted ina fascicle 
Commelinaceez (Schumann), Composite (Hoffmann); while Durant 
Wildeman”™ have published the first fascicle of a list of Congo plants, ame 
which many new species are described. Hallier’? has begun the publnt 
of a revision of Convolvulacez, the first paper containing Calonyctias 
of whose six species belong to the American flora, having beet ' 
usually to Ipomaea and Convolvulus. Huth has published a de meee 
of Japanese Ranunculacez, in which seventeen genera are represented, an 
which have representives in America. Eighty-three species are enu 
the largest genera being Ranunculus (13 species), Clematis (12), 7 
(12), Anemone (11), Coptis (6), and Trollius (6). Glatfelter™ has 
Salix longipes and its relation to S. zigra.—J. M. C. 
THE suBJECT of contractile roots is assuming larger and more a 
Proportions. A.Rimpach* has summarized the subject, finding ~ 
species, representing twenty families of monocotyls and dicotyls, 
aS possessing contractile roots. The power has been observed F 
baceous, and chiefly in geophilous plants. The greatest amount 
tion is said to be 70 per cent., and the families most frequently 
are the Liliacew, Iridacea, Amaryllidacez, and Aracew.—J. MG 
™ Bull. Misc. Information 4: 1-32. 1898. 
*S Erythea 5: 111-123. 1897. 
*® Jour. Bot. 35 ; 487-490. 1897. 
7 Bot. Jahrb. 24 : 305-464. 1897. 
“Bull. Soc. Roy. Bot. Belgique 36: 47-97. 1897- | 
® Bull. de 'Herb. Boiss. 5: 1021-1052. 1897. “Le 
*t Rep. Mo. Bot. Gard. g: 1-9. 18 ve Micr- 
* Beitr. z. wiss. Bot. (Fiinfstiick) 2: 1-28. 1897. Cf. Jour. mie c 
1897, p. 551. _ 
