THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 



79 



Naming Plants from the Seeds.— In a recent publi- 

 cation of the Field Columbian Museum, on the flora of 

 Yucatan, the author, C. F, Millspaugh, asserts that the 

 seeds of plants furnish excellent characters from which to 

 identify the species. The plants of Yucatan, it appears, 

 are prone to vary in form, and he was obliged to fall back 

 upon the shape and markings of the seeds to be sure of his 

 identifications. The publication contains illustrations of 

 each species listed, in most cases presenting a cross section 

 of the seed and a magnified portion of the outer surface 

 showing the characteristic markings. These latter ex- 

 hibit an astonishing number of designs, and form an in- 

 teresting addition to our knowledge of the plants. A 

 study of the seeds of North American plants that are 

 closely related would doubtless bring out many impor- 

 tant points. 



The Crocus. — Perhaps we would love this favorite of 

 March more than we do if it were a native wilding. But 

 there is no American crocus. It is foimd in many parts of 

 Europe, such as Greece, Hungary, Turkey, Italy the Mari- 

 time Alps, the Pyranees, the Carpathians, Dalmatia as 

 well as many parts of Asia. At present sixtj^-six species 

 are known to botanists and many crosses have been made 

 between them. The crocus has been cultivated for more 

 than 300 years. All, or nearly all, of this large family are 

 hardy and simple and unexacting in their requirements 

 needing only ordinary soil and the scant warmth of 

 March to bring them to perfection. This applies to the 

 spring blooming species. Those that bloom very late in 

 fall and in the winter are not well adapted to our gardens 

 and need the protection of a cold frame. At least forty- 

 two of the species known flower in autumn or in the 

 early winter in their native haunts, — Danske Dandridge 

 in Gardening. 



