\ 
876 General Notes. [August, 
while the leaf is often wholly absent; flowers rather long 
peduncled, clustered in heads or spikes; calyx large, loose, scar- 
ious or membranous, hirsute-ciliate with very long simple hairs, 
and also finely pubescent with stellate hairs, segments broadly 
ovate, abruptly acuminate with a slender point, very finely serrate, 
ong; petals obovate,-truncate, or retuse, erose, 6”--10" long, 
> ‘ light purple; carpels‘smooth) deeply striate on the back, reticu- 
a 
= study are given to points in structure or physiology 
lated on the sides, very strongly incurved. 
A peculiar species, fruiting spikes resemble Lophanthus or Or- 
thocarpus lacerus. ; 
June 17, 1882, Duncan's Mill, Cal.—Marcus E. Fones, Salt 
Lake City, Utah. 
BETTER METHODS oF TEacuinc Botany.—It is encouraging to 
notice from year to year a decided tendency in this country to- 
wards better methods of teaching botany in the schools and col- 
leges. The idea is gaining ground that it is better to study the 
plant, independently of its classification, more, and the technical 
matters which have to do with classification, or identification, less. 
A year or two ago Professor Beal in a lécture before the Michi- 
gan State Teachers’ Association presented very forcibly the ob- 
jections and absurdities of the old methods, and sketched kis ot 
New Botany.”! The favor with which this paper has been rece! , 
indicates that the teachers of botany are striving to reach re | 
things. They were ready to take up with the suggestion $ id | 
pupils should study the plants themselves first; that they s bake 
find out by direct examination the structure of branches, 
leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds, etc., etc. This method ma the 
fields and woods a great out-of-doors laboratory in whic a 
real work of studying plants is done. Moreover, the object i 
stantly kept before the student is to find out aX about every ee EN 
not just so much only as will enable him to fnd. a 
name. Often, in fact, many hours of interesting 4 Lite hate 
not made use of in the systematic manuals. 
e have now before us a little book,? by Professor 
of Princeton, the evident intention of which is to foster . 
of study commended above. A single sentence in pi “and n 
will suffice to show this. “It is better,” says the au ey an 
more interesting to spend the leisure of a whole unas ish 
gle species than to hurry over a large number merely A oait 
of discovering their names.” This certainly is the Macdlos+ 
to inculcate, and while we should not take exachy E ge 
a | method of teaching. By W- hers 
Mie PES, yg a re oer he ae meeting of the Mich. State joo z 
eee e D si iia i oe See y = 
’ Guide sor 
tion of Planta. By George Macloskie, D.Sc, LLD. ete. New Yok, P 
3. i 
Macloskie 
the m 
