112 



togams. After a general account of the Resales, with an anal\'t- 

 ical key to the twent}' four families included in this order, the 

 genera and species in four of these families are described. The 

 Podostemonaceae are represented by 5 genera with 10 species, 

 the Crassulaceae by 25 genera with 284 species, 30 of which are 

 new, the Penthoraceae by a single genus with one species, and 

 the Parnassiaceae by a single genus with 13 species, 4 of which 

 are new. Under the Crassulaceae, 4 new genera are proposed, 

 and many other recently proposed genera are recognized. An 

 important feature of the work is found in the analytical keys, 

 each genus (unless represented by a single species) having a key 

 to the species and each family a key to the genera. 



As a rule the descriptions, both generic and specific, are con- 

 cise. Under each genus the description is supplemented by an 

 enumeration of the synonyms and the name of the type species. 

 Under each species, in addition to a full synonymy, the type 

 locality and the geographical distribution are described, and refer- 

 ences are given to all published illustrations. In the case of a 

 new species, the type locality is described more fully, the name 

 of the collector antl the date of collection being added. In most 

 cases, however, no reference is made to the time of flowering or 

 fruiting. It should also be noted that very few of the descriptions 

 are accompanied by critical remarks, these being rendered un- 

 necessary by the numerous keys. 



Perhaps the feature of the work which will be most criticized 

 is its strong tendency toward the segregation of large and com- 

 prehensive genera into smaller and more rigidly defined genera. 

 A similar tendency is also to be observed in the limitation of 

 species. Both of these tendencies are especially well seen in the 

 treatment of the Crassulaceae. It should be remembered, how- 

 ever, that the descriptions in this difficult family are nearly all 

 drawn from living specimens, and that the .segregations are there- 

 fore based upon a very intimate knowledge of the plants. 



Alex,\ndkr VV. Evans. 



Vai,k Umvkrsity. 



