ABSTRACTS. 



711 



Cow-pea, Diseases of. By W. A. Orton {U.S.A. Dep. Agr. Bull. 

 No. 17; with four plates). — The wilt disease of the Cow-pea is caused by 

 a fungus, Ncocomoxpora vasinfccta, var. tracheijtliila, Er. Sin., and enters 

 the plants from the soil through the smaller roots. Microconidia produced 

 inside the vessels of the living stem. Macroconidia (Fusa/ri/U/m stage) 

 borne on the outer surface of the dead stems. Ascomycetous stage on 

 the roots of dead plants. As a preventive; measure the rotation of crops 

 is recommended. — 3/. C. C. 



Cow-pea resistent to Root-knot. By BerbertJ. Webber. (U.8.A. 

 Dep. Agr. (Bur. PI. Ind.) Bull. No. 17, pp. 28 86; 1002; with two 

 plates). — Root-knot or root-gall is caused by the attacks of a nematode 

 (Heterodcra radicicola, Gr.), and affects some 61 species of plants, in- 

 cluding Violet, Rose, Cucumber, and Tomato. The possibility of con- 

 trolling nematode diseases by the use of resistent varieties and stocks being 

 admitted, the Iron Cowpea variety is recommended as resistent to the 

 attacks of the nematode. — M. C. C. 



Crassula congesta. By \ . E. Brown {Gard. Ghrvn. No. 819, 

 p. 171, Sept. G, 1902). — A very distinct species from South Africa, received 

 at Kew from the Cape Town Botanic Gardens in 1901. It is of botanic 

 rather than horticultural interest. Tbe plants are not more than 8 or 8£ 

 inches in height ; the flowers are arranged in a large dense terminal head, 

 and would prove effective if several plants were grown together in a pot. 



<7. S. S. 



Crassulas, New, from South Africa. By S. Sehflnland and 

 E. G. Baker (Journ. Bot. 470, pp. 282 291 ; 8/1902).— Descriptions of C. 

 rudis, Erncsti, mesembrianthoides, deceptor, comuta, clcgans, tenuipedi- 

 cellata, minutijlora, Leipoldtii, Tysoni, loriformis, Jiattrayi, and allied 

 forms previously named, mostly from Namaqualand. — G. S. B. 



Crinum, Hybridisation of. By 0. Sprenger (Bull. B. Soc. Tosc. 

 Ort. ix. p. 271 ; September 1902). — The author possesses one of the finest 

 collections in existence of this plant. Baker's monograph of 1888 gives 

 seventy-nine species ; the author has in his garden to-day over a 

 hundred species. He gives a long list of the hybrids obtained by himself 

 since 1897. The plants are grown in the open all the year round, and 

 are only transplanted about once in seven or eight years, as this process 

 disturbs their powers of flowering. He has succeeded in fertilising not 

 only Asiatic species with American and African, but also species of the 

 sub-genus S (master with those of the sub-genus Platya.ster, as, e.g., 

 C. pedunculatum x C. pratense, and also species of the former sub-genus 

 with those of the sub-genus Codocrinum, as, e.g., C. pedunculatum x C. 

 jemense. As a rule the flowers of Crinum open at night; some in the 

 evening, some at midnight, others towards dawn, and still others when 

 daylight arrives. Several can stand the full sunlight : these are aquatic 

 or bog species, or those coming from tropical woods. The pollen of all 

 is hardy except that of the woodland species, which easily perishes and 

 is the cause of the infertility of this or that Crinum. The time at which 

 the pollen must be transported to the stigma will depend on the species, 



