80 
to another part of the book. Turning next to page 410 and 411, 
we find that the Melastomataceae are very properly placed in two 
sections of the key, but in the latter citation are said to have usu- 
ally a corona between the petals and stamens. We have dissected 
flowers of some hundreds of species of this family, representing 
practically all American genera, and do not know of a single one 
with a corona. Possibly the author has good authority for his 
statement, but a greater familiarity with the group would not have 
encouraged him to use the word usually, to say the least. We turn 
on to page 610, where a key to the orders of monocotyledons is 
presented. Such a key may serve either or both of two purposes, 
to give a general conspectus of the orders, or to aid the student 
in placing a plant. In both cases it fails. The orders Helobiae and 
Triuridales are placed together at the end of the dichotomy and 
characterized as follows: “Stamens and carpels numerous to one. 
Helobieae.” “Stamens 3-6. Carpels indefinite. Perianth of 3-8 seg- 
ments. Triuridales.” On the same page two other important or- 
ders are Separated in this wise: “Stamens varying from one to 
six. Carpels 1, 2, 3, or several. Farinosae.” “Stamens 6 or 3. Car- 
pels 3, rarely fewer or more. Liliiflorae.” These certainly impress 
one as a distinction without a difference. In the latter case, the 
orders are actually separated chiefly by the nature of the endo- 
sperm, and I doubt if any one character which is not more or less 
recondite in nature can be found to divide the two. The Farinosae 
are keyed out on page 654, where four families are characterized 
by having 3 carpels and contrasted with two others which have 
carpels 2 or 3. Such a statement does not show why the families 
are distinguished by taxonomists nor can it help the student 1m 
locating a plant. Such examples could be multiplied considerably, 
but there is no use in mentioning others. 
No less than 55 pages are assigned to a bibliography, including 
probably nearly a thousand titles, and divided into several sec- 
tions according to subject. Full of errors in citation, omitting 
many important works, including many unimportant ones, this 
part of the book is certàinly fearfully and wonderfully made. In 
the first place, it is unbalanced. A list which includes such books 
as Eaton’s Manual, now of historical importance only, should "o 
tainly include other books of equal importance but now similarly 
antiquated. Some such works can be found but by no means all 
of the most important, If Ledebour’s Flora Altaica and Flora 
