233 



SHORTER NOTES. 



Hibiscus oculiroseus Britton. — As there has been some 

 doubt expressed * concerning the specific distinctness of the white- 

 flowered or crimson-eyed swamp mallow and the swamp rose 

 mallow, t an additional record of observations as to the former 

 coming true from seed may not be amiss. | 



Seed from plants of each species, collected in the autumn of 

 1905 from plants growing side by side in the herbaceous 

 grounds of the New York Botanical Garden, were sown under 

 glass, germinated, and grew into vigorous plants by the time 

 the weather permitted of their transplanting into the open, 

 where they flowered late this season. These flowers and the 

 resultant capsules showed that each species comes true from 

 seed, that is to say, the progeny of the plant with the clear rose- 

 colored petals, Hibiscus Jfosclicutos L., produced flowers of the 

 same color, which in turn resulted in the corresponding charac- 

 teristic globose-ovoid, bluntish capsules ; likewise, the progeny of 

 Hibiscus oculiroseus had white petals with deep crimson bases, 

 followed by the appropriate ovoid-conic long-pointed capsules. 

 There were, however, several plants of the Hibiscus Moscheutos 

 seedlings that differed from the species, as they had rose-colored 

 petals with deep-crimson bases and capsules that were inter- 

 mediate in form, evidently representing a natural hybrid of the 

 two species. It is hoped that these plants will produce fertile 

 seed in another season, the resulting progeny of which should 

 be of considerable interest. 



J. A. Shafer. 

 New York Botanical Garden. 



How Bresadola became a Mycologist. § — Abbe G. Bresa- 

 dola, the distinguished mycologist of Trient, in the Tyrol, was 

 born in the Vale di Sole and educated at Rovereto and Trient. 



*Am. Botanist 7: 37, 95. 

 f Jour. N. Y. Bot. Garden 4 : 219. 



XAra. Botanist 7 : 75. Jour. N. Y. Bot. Garden 4 : 220. 



I This story was related by Bresadola himself during a recent visit of the author 

 at his home. 



