4i8 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [june 



■ 



contradict one another, it remains to discover the characters that should control, 

 and this becomes a matter of opinion rather than of demonstration. 



On the basis of v.-ood anatomy, as interpreted by Penhallow, a phylogeny 

 of the gj-mnosperms is constructed that certainly contradicts many of the con- 

 clusions that have been drav/n from the other methods of attack. From the 

 Cycadofilices tAvo great divergent lines arise, one being the Cycadophytes, the 

 other the general conifer-like plexus; this view seems reasonable enough. The 

 conifer-like forms are thought to have been derived through such forms as Poroxy- 

 lon, v,-hich in turn forked into Cordaitales and another branch which forked 

 into Ginkgoales and Coniferales. It is interesting to note that the araucarians 

 are made a branch of the Cordaitales stock. The Taxaceae (taxads and podo- 

 carps) are made the earliest side branch of the Coniferales stock; then 'come the 

 Taxodineae, the Cupressineae, and finally the Abietineae, whose most modern 

 and specialized expression is Pinus. Just how this phylogeny can be related to 

 that of Jeffrey, for example, to say nothing of the phylogeny of modern morphology, 

 is not clear. Either mature wood structure is not significant in phylogeny, or 

 there will hare to be an extensive revision of our former conclusions. 



At all events, it is a good thing to have these facts before us; and the book 

 will certainly be highly useful in its practical applications and also as a great 

 assistance in the recognition of fossil material.— J. M. C. 



NOTES FOR STUDENTS 

 Items of taxonomic interest. — ^W. 

 described a new Asplenium from Arizona.— C. B. Robinson (Bull. Torr. Bot. 

 Club 35:63-75. 1908) has begun a series of contributions bearing the title "Ala- 

 bastra pliilippinensis," the first one containing descriptions of 12 new species.— 

 P. C. SxANDLEY (idem 77-78) discusses certain New iMexican forms of Echino- 

 cereus and describes a new species.— H. D. House (idem 89-90) has described 

 2 new species of Evolvulus from the Bahama Islands.— E. Gilg (Bot. Jalirb. 

 40:444-518. 1908), in an account of the African Flacourtiaceae, describes numer- 

 ous new species and the following new genera : TrichosiepJtanus, Marquesia, and 

 Ophiobotrys.~~A. Engler (idem 519-572), among numerous new species of 



species 



908) 



Moraceae.— B. L. Robinson 



y oj- ^v^'jj iiao icviaeu me nomenclature 01 a numoer 01 piaais ui 

 the northeastern United States, chiefly of minor varieties and forms, and includes 



MUS 



Minnesota and Michiran.— G. HiERONY 



f c •• J ° ^' — t -^^. ^w. 1-^. iyuoj, m an account 01 me pienuupu^ i--^ 

 of biUEEL's South American collections, describes new species under Diplazium 

 (8) and Asplenium.-R. Keller (Bull. Herb. Boiss. H. 8:175-191. 1908), in a 

 revision of Hypericum § Brathys, recognizes 21 species, 6 of which (from South 

 America and xMexico) are described as new.-L. L. Capitaine (idem 251-253) 

 nas descnbed a new genus (Hyalocalyx) of Turneraceae from Madagascar 



