BRIEFER ARTICLES of the second year for a lateral conelet. The species is uninodal and bears subterminal conelets. It is not the purpose of this article to discuss the merits of MAYR'S very interesting arrangement of Pinus except so far as it involves the false node and its cone, on which his section MURRAYA is mainly founded. It serves to illustrate, however, the elusive character of the "lateral cone," which should be regarded as an incident, more or less persistent, in the life of a pine,

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... her than as an invariable character.-GEORGE RUSSELL SHAW, Arnold Arboretum, Jamnaica Plain, Mass. THE GENUS ALISMA IN NORTH DAKOTA (WITH ONE FIGURE) As the basis for this investigation I have used BUCHENAU'S monograph.' According to his analytical key, Echinodorus has 6, 9, I2, or more stamens, and the carpets are arranged in a dense head; while Alisma is characterized by 6 stamens, and has the carpets placed in a circle. Consequently he has changed the name Alismna tenellum Martius to Echinodorus tenellus (Mart.) Buchenau. He refers all the other forms of Alisma to A. Plantago L. and has divided this species into three varieties: var. a Micshaletii Aschers. et Graebn.; var. P arcuaturn (Michalet) Buchenau; and var. y parviflorum (Pursh) Torr. He says that var. arcuatum "is distinguished by many special small characters" from the other varieties. As will be found below, some of these differences are most conspicuous and give to the plant a peculiar aspect, and the distinguishing characters are constant and extend to all parts of the plant. I have therefore restored this variety to its former specific rank, and believe that the following will be an acceptable synopsis: T. Pedicels forming with the scape an angle of 450 or less; styles erect, longer than the ovules . . . . . . . . . . . . A. Plantago aquaticc) L. 2. Pedicels forming with the scape an angle of go' or more; styles bent outwards in a hook, shorter than the ovules . . . . A. arcuatum Michalet. I. ALISMA PLANTAGO L., vide Engler's Pflanzenreich, 1. c.-Scapes generally solitary (seldom two), 15-oocm high, erect; strong, slender, fibrous, as is the whole plant, except when very young. Leaves bright green, ovate to lanceolate, with an acute apex and a rounded or cordate sometimes tapering base; petioles 2-35cm long; the blades usually 7-ribbed, 5-I7cm long, 3-9cm wide. Inflorescence a strict, large, loose, pyramidal panicle of majestic appearance, its lower part raised above the level of the leaf