47 2 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [june 



basis, and opened up many possibilities and suggestions for their further investi- 



gation. 



point 



predetermined in the germ-cells, and that therefore it cannot be modified by 

 environmental conditions except, of course, by such conditions, as yet unknown, 

 as are capable of producing mutations.— George H. Shull. 



Current taxonomic literature.— N. L. Britton and J. N. Rose (Jour. N. Y. 

 Bot. Gard. 9: 185-188. 1908) have proposed a new genus (Carnegiea) of the 

 Cactaceae. The genus is based on the well-known Cereus giganteus Engelra., 

 and contains but the one species. H. Pittier (Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 12: 171- 

 181. 1909) has published 8 new species of flowering plants from tropical America. 

 The descriptions are supplemented by two full-page illustrations and several 

 text-figures; the types are deposited in the U. S. National Herbarium. A. Thel- 

 lung (Bull. Herb. Boiss. II. 8:913, 914. 1909) records 3 new varieties of Lepi- 

 dium pubescens Desv. from South America. F. Stephani (ibid. 941-972) has 

 published 43 new species of the genus Mastigobryum from various localities. 

 G. Beauverd (ibid. 986-988) has published a new Eriocaulon from Brazil and 

 also a new species of Tulbaghia from the Transvaal; the same author (ibid. 993- 



\ 1 rf"^*. A _ 



IOO 



gives an analytical key to the Uruguayan species. E. G. Paris (Bull. Soc. Bot. 



Mem 



/ 



F. Gagnepain (ibid. 



Session extr., pp. xxxvi-xliii) has published 4 new species of Zingiberaceae and a 

 new genus (Ataenidia) of the Marantaceae from Africa, and also a new species 

 of Calathea native of Indo-China. G. Bonati (ibid. 509-515, 537-543) describes 

 25 new species and 4 new varieties of scrophulariaceous plants from Indo-China. 

 F Gagxepaix (ibid. 521-527, 544-548) has published 12 new species of Asiatic 

 plants belonging to the Bixaceae and Pittosporaceae. F. Kranzlein (Fedde 

 Rep. Nov. Sp. 6: 18-23. 1908) publishes 8 new species of Orchidaceae from 

 Bolivia. Wolff (ibid. 24) records a new Eryngium from Bolivia. O. Beccari 

 (ibid. 94-96) records 4 new species of palms from the Antillean region. W. Wang- 

 erin (ibid, 97-102) has published 13 new species of the genus Cornus, chiefly 

 from China. E. Hackel (ibid. 153-161), under the title Gramineae novae V, has 

 published 8 new species and 5 varieties of grasses from Bolivia. E. L. Greene 

 (ibid. 161) records a new species of Argemone from New Mexico. E . Rosenstock 

 (ibid. 175), in an article entitled Filices novae IV, has published 4 species and one 

 variety of ferns as new to science. B. P. G. Hochreutiner (Ann. Conserv. et 

 Gard. Geneve 11-12:136-143, reprint pp. 1-8. pis. 1, 2. 1908) has published a 

 revision of the genus Adansonia in which 8 species are recognized, one of which, 

 A. Stanburyana from northwestern Australia, is proposed as new to science. 

 G. A^Nadsox (Bull. Jard. Imp. Bot. St. Petersb. 8:113-121. pi. 1. 1908) 

 describes a new microorganism (Rhodos phacrium diffluens) from the Caspian 

 Sea; the systematic position of the plant according to the author is "an der Grenze 

 zwischen Algen und Bakterien." C. Ferdinandsen and O. Winge (Bot. Tids- 



