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Recurring, severe, prolonged cold weather will kill it down to the 
snow level and the occurrence of such cold without an adequate 
snow protection must be at least one of the important limitations 
to the distribution of this plant in places which would otherwise 
be suitable for it. 
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN 
SHORTER NOTES 
SHADE-INDUCED UPRIGHTNESS IN THE SEASIDE SPURGE.— 
For some years my attention has been drawn to the behavior 
of Euphorbia polygonifolia L. as it grows in abundance upon the 
sand along the New Jersey coast. When growing in the open. 
the plants lie flat upon the sand and form attractive patches, 
the closely-forked stems varying in color from a pale green in 
some individuals to that of a bright red in others. 
However when the plants chance to be among any shore grass 
the aspect is so changed that one might pass them by as of 
another species. [Instead of the thick-set, stout, many-jointed 
plant it assumes an upright position and the internodes are 
several inches in length. Such plants do not thrive in even the 
partial shade of the slender-leaved grass and probably rarely set 
seed. 
By subjecting very young plants, started in the full sun, to the 
shade of twigs stuck into the sand near them the writer has been 
able to note the taking on of the upright habit. When the plants 
have already become prostrate the artificial shade brought to 
them will induce a turning upward of the tips of the stems. 
Many kinds of prostrate plants exhibit this tendency to become 
erect in the shade, but none seem to be more sensitive than the 
spurge in question. Byron D. HALSTED 
ANCIENT AND MODERN Vigws REGARDING THE RELATION OF 
TAXONOMY TO OTHER PHASES or BoTANICAL WorK.—In the 
April number of Torreya, Dr. P. A. Rydberg in his article on 
 "Phytogeography and its Relation to Taxonomy and Other 
Branches of Science" says a few words in defense of taxonomic 
