The True Grasses. By Edward Hackcl. Translated 

 from Die Natiirlicheti Pflanzenf ami lien, by F. Lamson- 

 Scribner and Effie A. Southwortli. Illustrated. Pp. 228. 

 Henry Holt &^ Co. This translation presents to English 

 readers the first concise and methodical account of the 

 grasses of the world. Dr. Hackel is known as one of 

 the best living agrostologists, and Professor Scribner is 

 well known in the same field in this country. The work 

 is a systematic synopsis of the order Gramineae, with a 

 chapter upon structure, morphology and 

 Notable physiology. Those who are not familiar 



Grass Book, with recent agrostological literature will 

 find a host of new generic names and 

 great numbers of important changes in methods of clas- 

 sification ; and many of the dispositions are peculiar to 

 the volume. Zizania miliacea is placed in a compara- 

 tively new genus, Zizaniopsis , leaving the common Zi- 

 zania aqitatica, or wild rice, alone in its genus, with an 

 important varietal modification in Asia. 



We are naturally interested in the treatment of the 

 cereals. The common oat is supposed to have come 

 from Avena fatita or some related species of southern 

 Europe or western Asia. Rye is said to have come from 

 Secale inontaiiiivi , a perennial species of Mediterranean 

 countries. This has a jointed rachis or head, and this and 

 its perennial character have been lost through cultiva- 

 tion. But " rye stubble, if it stands a long time in the 

 field, will sprout again, a thing that never happens with 

 wheat and barley, because their original forms are an- 

 nual." Wheat is said to fall into three races or groups, 

 although only two are given : the rachis or head jointed 

 at maturity, and the rachis not jointed. Many varieties 

 are designated, and several plants which are 

 Cereals. regarded as distinct species by many botan- 

 ists are thought to be forms of wheat, Triti- 

 ciiiii sativum. The aboriginal form of wheat is unknown. 

 Barley "undoubtedly originated from Hordeiim sponla- 

 neiiiii, which grows wild from Asia Minor and Caucasian 

 countries to Persia, " etc. The two-rowed and six-rowed 

 barleys, held to be distinct species by some, are con- 

 sidered cultural forms of barley, to which the name 

 Hordeiim satii'iim is applied. Maize is the only species 

 of its genus, and its aboriginal form is unknown. Six 

 varieties or groups are specified : common, pearl (pop- 

 corn ?), horse-tooth, sugar, Cuzco, and husk. This 

 classification is much inferior to that published some- 

 time since by Dr. E. Lewis Sturtevant (5th Rep. N. Y. 

 Exp. Sta. 58). 



But it is in its general features that a work of this 

 kind finds its greatest value. It enables the student to 



grasp the whole subject and to arrive at comparative 

 knowledge, while at the same time its keys and details 

 are ample enough to give a somewhat particular view of 

 each genus. The chapter upon bamboos, contributed 

 by Dr. Brandis, is one of the best presentations of this 

 interesting groups yet written. 



Grasses and Forage Plants, and Catalogue of 

 Plants [of Nebraska'\ . By C. E. Bessey and H. J. Web- 

 ber. Pp. 162. Report of the Botanist to the Nebraska 

 State Board of Agriculture. An especial canvas of the 

 grasses and forage plants of Nebraska has been made, 

 and the results are given in this report, in the shape of 

 lists of species found in various sections, introduced 

 species, diseases of forage plants, remarks on cultiva- 

 tion, etc. 



The more important part of the report, as well as the 

 larger, is the catalogue of plants of the state. The list 

 includes fungi as well as flowering plants, and it differs 

 from most, or all, American catalogues in placing the 

 lowest orders first in the list. It also fol- 

 lows the extreme European views concern- Flora of 

 ing capitalization and punctuation of bo- Nebraska, 

 tanical names. We had hoped that Amer- 

 ica would escape the ingratitude of writing a man's 

 name without a capital, especially since nothing is to be 

 gained by it. The catalogue is well made, and the notes, 

 especially in the fungi, are full and interesting. This 

 is the second flora of Nebraska yet attempted, the first 

 one having been made by Professor Samuel Aughey, so 

 long ago as 1875. i8go species and varieties are now 

 enumerated. 



Grasses of the Southwest. Plates and Descriptions 

 of the Grasses of the Desert Region of Western Texas, N^ew 

 Mexico, Arizona and Southern California. Part / By 

 George Vasev. Jo plates. Small ^to. Bulletin A^o. 12, of 

 the Division of Botanv of the U. S. Department of Agri- 

 culture. " The region of country immediately adjoining 

 the northern boundary of Mexico, including the western 

 part of Texas and the greater part of New Mexico, Ari- 

 zona and Southern California, is one 



of remarkable heat and aridity." Such Grasses of 



is the territory covered by this attrac- the Southwest, 

 tive contribution. The grass flora is 

 scanty, some of the species being short-lived, springing 

 up suddenly after the summer rains and rapidly matur- 

 ing, while the perennial and more conspicuous ones grow 

 in isolated bunches. "Nowhere do the native grasses 

 form a continuous sod, but grow in scattered bunches in 

 connection with the low bushes which prevail on the 

 mesas or among the chaparral." "Here one never sees 



