THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 
The Descriptions of Flowers— One has only to 
consult the nearest manual to discover that the color- 
scheme of flowers is rareh- described with exactness. The 
colors present are usually fairh^ well indicated but their 
arrangement and extent are but loosely described. Those 
whodiscover errors of this kind should make them known. 
P^ONY OR Peony. — The proper spelling of the genus 
to which this popular flower belongs is Paeonia. In our 
grandmother's day the common name of the plant was 
pronounced as if spelled pi-o-ny and by the uncultured this 
was soon corrupted to piny. Xow-a-days we hear the 
plant spoken of as the "pe-o-ny" a most unwarranted 
perversion of the name. The diphthong ae in Latin is pro- 
nounced nearer the English i than any other and since the 
common name was derived from the scientific, those old- 
fashioned folks who continue to speak of the piony are 
really nearer the mark than their critics who insist upon 
The Root-tubercle Bacteria.— According to recent 
reports the bacteria that form tubercles on the roots of 
leguminous plants, from which the plants later are able to 
derive nitrogen, appear to belong to a single species 
named Pseudomotias radicicola. It is known, however, 
that certain species of legumes will not grow in soils from 
which their favorite bacteria are missing. For instance, 
alfalfa will not grow in soil that has only the clover 
bacteria, though it will grow in soils in which the sweet 
clover (Melilotus) bacteria are found. This peculiarity is 
explained bv the statement that while there is only one 
species there are several distinct forms or races. It is also 
said that the slight differences between these races may be 
broken down by cultivation. Contrary to the opinion 
first held, it is now believed that the association between 
leguminous plants and bacteria is not a case of symbiosis, 
but that the bacteria are rather in the nature of parasites. 
The\- are of benefit to the plants, however, in that by the 
death and decay of their bodies, the plant is able to oijtain 
nitrogen. 
