THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 
89 
two of the extra organs appear at the node, they are regarded 
as consisting of two stipules grown together, when four are 
present, they are held to represent the normal number of 
stipules. 
Winged Seeds. — Trees with winged seeds seem to be 
among Nature's most successful creations. In the maple fam- 
ily alone, there are about a hundred species, and the ash family 
has nearly half as many and all of them have winged fruits. 
Variation in Rudbeckia. — From H. C. Ridlon, Cut- 
tingsville, Vt., we have received a specimen of the yellow 
daisy (Rudbeckia hirta) in which each of the ray flowers is 
marked by a blotch of brownish purple at base. The plant 
from which our specimen came had twelve flowers on it, all 
with the unusual markings. This form of flower has been 
reported several times before, but it is always interesting and 
never common. Without doubt it represents one of Nature's 
variations from the normal, which DeVries has called an ''ele- 
mentary species." With such a beginning it would be a com- 
paratively easy matter to breed a race of plants, all of which 
should have brown spotted ray flowers, or, indeed, a race in 
which the entire ray would be brown. 
Novel Use For Milkweed Seed Pods. — One day while 
collecting plants I noticed a couple of caterpillars which I very 
much desired, and having nothing suitable in which I could 
put them in, I looked around for something from Nature and 
noticed a large number of the common milkweed (Asclepias 
speciosa) loaded down with seed pods. I broke one of these 
off leaving the stem attached to the pod, split it open, took 
out the silky mass and the follicle then closed up quite tightly 
making a fine receptacle in which to put my young butterflies. 
As far as I have had occasion to use these natural repositories 
I always found them satisfactory. — Earl Lynd Johnston, 
Evans, Colo. 
