lir> 



not generally known to botanists, is that the whole region was 

 submerged beneath the sea in Pleistocene times, consequently 

 the species now confined to the pine-barrens (from New Jersey 

 to Texas), i:)crhaps several hundred in number, have probably 

 originated since that time. 



Mr. Harper's remarks were illustrated by many photographs 

 and specimens. The paper was discussed by Drs. Britton and 

 Rusby. 



Mrs. Britton then spoke of certain interesting southern mosses, 

 especially of Erpodiuiii, a curious genus having the habit of a 

 Frnllaiiia or Lcjcu)ica. A species of this collected many years 

 ago by Sullivant at Augusta, Georgia, was published by Austin 

 as a hepatic under the name Lcjcitnea biscviata. Mrs. Britton 

 discussed and exhibited also numerous mosses from the extreme 

 southern part of Florida. A few of these appear to be unde- 

 scribed but most of them are of species that are widely distributed 

 in the West Indian region. 



Dr. Rusby showed specimens of spurious ipecac roots which 

 have found their way into the markets. The true ipecac (from 

 Ccpluiiiis IpccacuanJia of the family Rubiaceae) is now hard to 

 obtain and high-priced. Some of the spurious root comes from 

 other species of the same genus, but the most common adul- 

 terant is from the genus lonidiiini {^Calceolaria) of the family Vio- 

 laceae. Dr. Rusby exhibited also specimens of PortcraiitJius 

 stipulahis, which is sometimes called the North American ipecac. 



Dr. Britton showed living plants of two species of Crassulaceae 

 which had come into flower in the greenhouses of the New York 

 Botanical Garden. One was Scdiim Ncvii, hitherto described 

 from dried material, a species collected originally in southwestern 

 Virginia, but since found to extend to Indiana. The other was 

 a Pach)phytiiin from Mexico. Dr. Bntton stated that in North 

 America north of the Isthmus, 284 species of Crassulaceae may 

 be recognized, distributed in 25 genera. Representatives of all 

 these genera have now been studied in the living state. 



Before adjourning, it was voted to hold the next meeting at 

 the Botanical Garden in the afternoon instead of at the Museum 

 of Natural llist(^r\-in the evening. M.\ksh.\ll A. Howe, 



Secretary pro teiii. 



