69 



the yellow grains. It is regretted that a sketch of the two em- 

 bryos was not made before the grain was placed in the earth for 

 further growth. Out of very many thousands of germinating 

 grains of corn, this is the only one showing diembryony that has 

 come to my notice. 



Rutgers College, May 4, 1901. 



REVIEWS 



A work that is sure to play an important part in popularizing 

 botanical studies on the Pacific Coast is the recently published 

 "Flora of Western Middle California"* by Dr. Willis Linn 

 Jepson, Assistant Professor of Botany in the University of Cali- 

 fornia. This is a carefully written and attractively printed de- 

 scriptive manual, with keys to the families, genera, and species. 

 In many species a considerable range of variability is recognized, 

 especially in vegetative characters, under conditions which are 

 definitely named. New species and varieties are described in 

 various genera. In the matter of nomenclature, it is not wholly 

 obvious just what considerations have determined the choice of 

 generic names. The nomenclature is evidently not that of Berlin, 

 Kew, Harvard, the Rochester Code, or of the Flora Franciscana. 

 With considerable allowance for the inherent difficulties of mak- 

 ing one's practice seem always consistent and logical to another, 

 it may be said that Professor Jepson's selection of names has the 

 appearance of being an arbitrary compromise between the so- 

 called "conservative" and "reform" tendencies. The influence 

 of the American principle of " Once a synonym, always a 

 synonym " is doubtless to be recognized in the substitution of 

 Timiion Raf. for Torreya Arn., Osmaronia Greene for Nuttallia 

 T. & G., and Xvlothermia Greene for Pickeringia Nutt. To the 

 "priority of place" idea is evidently to be attributed the accep- 

 tance of Tissa Adans. in the place of Buda Adans., while simple 

 priority of publication is apparently responsible for the adoption 

 of Panicularia Fabric, for Glyceria R. Br., Razoumofskya Hoffm. 

 for Arceuthobiiim Bieb., Koellia Moench for Pycnanthemum 



* Jepson, W. L. A Flora of Western Middle California. 8vo. Pp. iv -f- 

 625. 16 Ap. 1901. Encina Publishing Co., Berkeley. Price $2.50. 



