1906] CURRENT LITERATURE 225 
In general, the memoir is a contention that the recent brilliant work which 
has knit together cycads and Filicales has developed the too sweeping conclusion 
that all gymnosperms have the same phylogenetic connection; that the old view 
suggesting a connection between conifers and lycopods deserves more attention 
than it has been receiving; and that at least the Araucarieae strongly suggest 
a lycopod origin. It is urged upon paleobotanical evidence that the Arauca- 
rieae are the most primitive of Coniferales, certainly more primitive than the 
Abietineae; and that this testimony from history is supported by numerous 
evidences of relatively primitive structures still exhibited by Agathis and Arau- 
caria. The difficult question of the Cordaitales, which seem to combine char- 
acters of Cycadales and Coniferales and so necessitate a common phylogeny, 
is disposed of by minimizing their resemblances to the latter, at least to the 
Araucarieae. It must be remarked that the authors repeatedly emphasize the 
fact that they are dealing only with the Araucarieae, and that it does not affect 
their main contention whether the other Coniferales are related to a filicinean 
ancestry through the Cordaitales or not. In developing the differences between 
the Araucarieae and other Coniferales, they have been so impressed by their 
importance that they have suggested a group Arawucariales, coordinate with 
Coniferales, Cycadales, etc. For this group, at least, they claim a lycopo 
ancestry, through some such form as Lepidocarpon, emphasizing the seed-like 
sporangia recently described by Scort in that genus. 
The authors are to be congratulated upon a very fair statement of their 
case, a statement which dodges none of the difficulties, and which really does not 
claim very much more than that an almost abandoned hypothesis must not be 
neglected. 
A very interesting appendix to this memoir may be obtained by reading the 
report’? of two recent meetings of the Linnean Society, at which various views 
as to the origin of gymnosperms were presented and combated by English 
students of the group.—J. M. C. 
Items of taxonomic interest.—N. L. Britron (Bull. N. Y. Bot. Gard. 
4°115-127, 137-143. 1906) describes new species of Bahama plants under 
Coccolobis, Caesalpinia, Canavalia, Hibiscus, Heliotropium (2), Lantana (2), 
estrum, Stemmodontia, Anastraphia, Marsilea, Dondia, Cassia, Maytenus, My- 
roxylon, Opuntia, Limnanthemum, Metastelma, Aster—W. H. BLANCHARD (Tor- 
reya 6:147-149. 1906) has described 2 new species of Rubus (dewberries) from 
New England—H. D. House (idem 150) has described a new Convolvul 
from Georgia—H. A. GLEASON (Bull. Torr. Bot. Club 33:387-396. 1906) 
has revised the pedunculate species of Trillium, defining 19 species, 3 of which 
are new.—H. D. House (Rhodora 8:117-122. 1906) has described the violets 
and violet hybrids of the District of Columbia and vicinity, recognizing 26 species, 
and describing 8 new hybrids.—M. L. FERNALD (idem 126-130) has described 
new species of Cyperus (2) and Eleocharis from Eastern North America. 
7 New Phytol. 5:68-76, 141-148. 1906. 
