93 



composites, certainly a remarkably high percentage (20 per cent). 

 The other large families are the Fabaceae (473), Poaceae (451), 

 and Brassicaceae (325). Many of the genera are notable for the 

 number of their representatives, especially Poa (67), Carex (162), 

 Salix (76), Eriogonum (122), Draba (50), Arabis (50), Potentilla 

 (80), Lupinus (80), Pentstemon (97), Castilleja (61), Aster (86), 

 Erigeron (loi), Artemisia (71), Senecio (114), and Cirsium (58). 



Dr. Rydberg's ideas concerning species and genera are well 

 known to the botanical public, and while there are many who 

 will not agree with him in regard to the limits of groups, especially 

 genera, such differences of opinion will not detract from the 

 general usefulness of the fiora. Synonyms are cited freely to 

 coordinate generic segregations as well as variations in usage 

 under different codes of nomenclature. If a botanical work is 

 fairly and accurately written, the code of nomenclature followed 

 and the measure of specific and generic limits adopted are matters 

 of minor importance; and there is no doubt that the present 

 work has been so prepared. Of special importance, too, is the 

 fact that the descriptions have not been compiled but are drawn 

 direct from the plants themselves. 



The plan of the fiora is excellent and in some respects superior 

 to that of any similar American work. There are full keys to 

 the families, genera, and species. The generic and specific de- 

 scriptions are brief but adequate, and supplement the key char- 

 acters. Too many descriptive floras, even the oldest and most 

 thoroughly revised, might be decreased in bulk twenty-five per 

 cent if superfluous descriptive phrases common to many species 

 were omitted. Ranges are given concisely but with unusual 

 fulness, accompanied by an indication of zonal distribution. 

 Dates of flowering are included, as well as all essential synonymy. 

 In spite of its large number of pages the book is of convenient 

 size. Its typography is very pleasing, although unfortunately 

 disfigured by an inordinate number of typographical errors, 

 which, it would seem, could have been avoided. 



Those who have attempted the preparation of similar botanical 

 works understand the immense amount of labor, some of it 

 drudgery unappreciated by the casual reader, which the com- 



