492 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [DECEMBER 
Aster novae-angliae, Asclepias tuberosa, and Helianthus grosse-serratus. 
None of these species was flourishing as well as did other individuals 
growing in open ground, but all were perhaps twice as tall as during an 
ordinary season and much more robust than usual. A plant of the 
moisture-loving Chelone glabra, which had for some years barely kept 
alive, grew luxuriantly and flowered freely. 
On the other hand, the rather xerophytic Sedum telephioides and 
Hedera Helix showed no better growth than usual, and some other 
plants, such as Saponaria officinalis and Oxalis corniculata, showed little 
increase over their usual size. It would seem that the invariable dwarf- 
ing in ordinary seasons of the Aster, Asclepias, and Helianthus previously 
mentioned must be due mainly to abstraction of moisture from the soil 
by the roots of the trees. Doubtless many plants of agricultural impor- 
tance are as sensitive to the effect of diminished water supply as are these 
three species.—J. Y. BercEN, Cambridge, Mass. 
STAMINATE FLOWERS IN ANEMONE 
Anemone caroliniana is one of the most common of spring flowers in 
the vicinity of Grand Island, Nebraska. For several years I have noticed 
that in a large number of the flowers the pistils are lacking. In 1914 in 
one collection of 250 specimens, 190 were perfect, 50 had stamens only, 
and 1o had few or abortive pistils. There were none that had pistils 
only. The condition found is indicated in table. I. 
TABLE I 
STAMENS PISTILs 
Minimum | Maximum | Average Minimum | Maximum | Average 
190 normal nagar 20 45 28 25 60 35 
50 a ‘ 
ees 7 55 28 me ire ear me) fe) 
10 with f few pistils . 10 52 40 10 20 16 
In 1915 a collection of 133 specimens contained 55 staminate and 
78 perfect flowers. A bouquet of especially fine large anemones was 
alsoexamined. It contained 48 specimens, 46 of which were perfect, and 
in only 2 of which pistils were lacking. The average number of stamens 
