Excerpt from prac. Amer. Acad. Arts and Sci. XXV, 124-163. The occasional systematic publications from the Gray Herbarium of Harvard University have always been the most important contributions to the knowledge of North American plants. Dr. Watson's first detached contribution was made so long ago as 1873. From that time until 1885 bis publications were companions to similar ones by Asa Gray, and since the death of the master they have continued his labor. In his seventeen papers, and in various volumes and reports, Dr. Watson has published more new species of American plants than any other author, except Dr. Gray himself. The contribution before us comprises "Miscellaneous Notes upon North American Plants, chiefly of the United States, with descriptions of New Species," and "Descriptions of New Species of Plants from Northern Mexico, collected chiefly by Mr. C. G. Pringle in 1888 and 1889." A number of the new species described in the first part will undoubtedly find their way into cultivation in the course of time.

One of the most interesting of these is a new iris {Iris Caroliniana) discovered near Wilmington, North Carolina, in 1888, by W. A. Manda, and which is now being sent out by Pitcher & Manda.

Literature of Gardens.

The most noteworthy plant in the Mexican collection is a new genus allied to the prickly ash and named Sar-gentia, in compliment to Professor C. S. Sargent, of the Arnold Arboretum. But one species is described, Sar-gentia Greggii, the specific name being given in memory of Dr. Gregg, an early explorer of the Mexican flora, and who first collected the plant near Monterey so long ago as 1847. The species "occurs abundantly in the canons about the base of the mountains surrounding Monterey, as a large shrub or small tree with smooth gray bark, which cleaves off much as in Platanus." The naming of the genus is a graceful compliment to one of our most distinguished botanists, especially as he has aided Mr. Pringle to prosecute his explorations in Mexico.

Another new genus is Rhodosciadium, one of the um-belliferae, a name which serves as a reminder of the rose color of the flowers, and as an obscure compliment to J. N. Rose, of Washington, who is a student of this difficult order. The only species, A'. Pringlei, grows on hillsides near Guadalajura. Jaliscoa, named for the Mexican State Jalisco, is a new genus of composite, allied to the eupator-iums or thoroughworts. The only species is J. Pringlei, a sub-shrub six to eight feet high, with white flowers, and growing on cool ledges along the Rio Grande de Santiago.

Systematic Botany.

Sargentle, a New Genus.

Mm Geners.

The labors of Mr. C. G. Pringle are indelibly asso-ciated with the botany of Northern Mexico. For a number of seasons he has collected there, and numbers of plants have been named for him. There are twenty-one with the specific name Pringlei in the present enumeration.