35 



normally develop into an ovule, as is sometimes the case with the 

 included carpellary masses in the red pepper, Capsicum, and 

 the passiflora, Passiflora gracilis, seems, therefore, to be precluded. 



But, on the other hand, I was unable to satisfy myself of the 

 existence of a stalk directly connecting the included fruit with 

 the torus. The axillary region of the fruit is of a spongy nature 

 and very soft in all these specimens. It seemed to form a more 

 or less continuous column from the base of the green prolification 

 to the torus, but it is difficult to say what is continuation of torus' 

 and what is produced by the carpellary margins. 



The considerable number of cases observed renders it highly 

 probable that the abnormality will be met in other cultures. 

 If a strain rich enough in the anomaly could be found a thorough 

 morphological investigation would be a profitable task. 



J. Arthur Harris 



On the Identity of Poa crocata Michx. — The type 

 specimen of this grass is in the herbarium of Drake de Castillo 

 in Paris, where I examined it in December, 1911. It is an ex- 

 cellent sheet of five culms and is labeled " Juxta amnes ad Lacus 

 Mistassini defluentes. No. 160." There is also a second sheet 

 with two plants but only one panicle, which is labeled merely 

 "No. 160. Poa crocata." A third sheet containing two culms 

 is labeled "Hort. Par.," evidently grown in gardens at Paris. 

 In this the spikelets are slightly larger. The labels are all in 

 Michaux's handwriting. All of the specimens represent Poa 

 triflora Gilib. (Poa serotina Ehrh.) to which Poa crocata was as- 

 signed as a synonym by Steudel, and in which he has been gener- 

 ally followed. C. V. Piper 



Taxonomy and Other Phases of Botanical Work.* — 

 In connection with the article in the November number of 

 Torreya, by F. J. Seaver, on Ancient and Modern Views Re- 

 garding the Relation of Taxonomy to Other Phases of Botanical 

 Work, it may be of sufficient interest to note an opinion expressed 

 on the subject in England about one hundred years previous to 



* See Torreya for April and November, 1912. 



