CURRENT LITERATURE 
MINOR NOTICES 
Trees and shrubs.—Part III of the second volume of this work has been 
issued,t and contains full and lucid descriptions of some 30 species, 25 of 
which are accompanied by carefully executed full-page illustrations, including 
detailed drawings of flowers and fruit. Nearly all of the plants considered 
are native in the South conneo and Gulf states, and about one-half of the 
species treated are new to science. New species are published in the following 
genera: Quercus (1), Hamamelis G) , Crataegus (3), Prunus (6), and Sambucus 
(1). The high standard of excellence, characteristic of the previous parts, is” 
fully maintained in the present issue.—J. M. GREENMAN. 
Flora of Congo.—A second fascicle? of the third volume of this work has 
appeared recently, which records the results of further studies in several fami- 
lies of spermatophytes from the Gramineae to the Compositae. A number 
of species new to science are included, described, and illustrated in the same 
excellent manner as in previous fascicles of this florai—J. M. GREENMAN. 
NOTES FOR STUDENTS 
Experiments with maize.—Several years ago BLARINGHEM’ published a 
monograph on his now well known experiments in the production of anomalies 
in various plants as the result of mutilation. The mutilations forced into 
development buds which ordinarily remain latent, and the branches produced 
from these buds frequently possessed characters not recognized as normal 
features of the plants operated on. In a small percentage of cases the abnor- 
malities thus brought to light were found to be inherited to a greater or less 
degree, and the conclusion was reached that mutilation is a very general and 
easy means of provoking mutability and an important factor in the evolution 
of vegetable forms. Most of his experiments were made with maize, thoug' 
some apparently corroboratory evidence was derived from barley (H. distichum 
and H. tetrastichum) and mustard (Sinapis alba). All of the new characters, 
abnormal or otherwise, which came to light in his experiments with ma aize 
* SARGENT, CHARLES SPRAGUE, Trees and shrubs. [Illustrations of new or little 
known ligneous plants, etc. 4to, pp. 117-190. pls. 151-175. Boston and New to 
Houghton Mifflin Co, IgrI. $5.00. 
D ILDEMAN, Emme, Flore “ Bas- et du Moyen Congo. Ann. Mus. Cane 
Belge. Bot. V. 3:149-316. pls. 28-49. 1910. Brussels. 
* BLarincuem, L., Mutation et traumatismes. Etude sur l’évolution des formes 
végétales. pp. 248. pis. 8. Paris: Felix Alcan. 1908. 
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