96 



The Plant World. 



it expected, being spineless, to yield an excellent fodder for 

 cattle, but also to greatly excel Opuntia ficus indica in the quan- 

 tity and quality of its fruits. A propagating company has ac- 

 quired possession of specimens of this wonder plant, which are 

 held at one thousand dollars each." 



While the purveyors of new cacti are thus achievi ng 

 fame at home and abroad, the makers of new names for old 

 members of the same group are receiving some attention. In 

 connection with the recent change of name of Ccrcus giganteus 

 to Carnegiea gigantea rather severe animadversions are heard, 

 and really it does seem too bad when such a good generic name 

 as Sahuaro was right at hand and in universal use not to take 

 it for the new monotypic genus. The dictum of a special stu- 

 dent of any group has to be taken as final — until some other 

 expert in the same group sets it aside — but admitting the tech- 

 nical right of the last systemist to make new genera according 

 to judgment, there is nevertheless a fitness of things in the choice 

 of names which one could wish to have regarded. 



In the midst of these trials we note that another of our foreign 

 friends, though a little dazed at the way we do things, never- 

 theless concludes, after turning it all over, that "cacti are worth 

 to be taken into consideration by all botanists and botanical 

 institutes." Let us sincerely hope that a period of "considera- 

 tion" is just before us. 



Mycologia, the latest journal issued by the Xew York 

 Botanical Garden, is undertaken in continuation of the work 

 formerly done by the Journal of Mycology. It is issued 

 bi-monthly, the first number bearing date of January, 1909. 

 As stated editorially and indicated by numbers that have thus 

 far appeared, the main features of the new journal will be, first, 

 technical articles of value to investigators in mycology; second, 

 popular articles of value to the fungus-loving public; third, 

 illustrations, many of them in natural colors; fourth, news 

 and notes. The staff, headed by Dr. W. A. Murrill, includes 

 names well known in the annals of American mycology, and it 

 is stated that a number of famous mycologists have been en- 

 gaged to assist by suggestion or otherwise in the management 

 of the journal. 



