Volume 4 – Issue 4-5 (Apr-May 1939)

Refreshing in its original treatment and wealth of new material is the first volume of Lamb’s “Virginia Trees”, published privately by the author two year-s ago. The writer, William Harrison Lamb, is editor of the Manassas Journal, Manassas, Va., an amateur botanist, and a member of the Southern Appalachian Botanical Club. The book, nevertheless, has a professional touch not ordinarily associated with the work of the amateur botanist. The author expected that his work would be useful to the “general public, students of high schools and colleges, professional foresters and public park administrators, teachers, boy scouts, and many others especially concerned with the recognition of forest trees and the manner in which they are associated. “

Mr. Arthur N. Leeds, of Philadelphia, Pa., a member of the, Southern Appalachian Botanical Club since its organization in 1936, died on Januarv 26th, 1939.

The passing, of Professor Schaffner from active work in the field of botany means more than the usual sadness experienced in the loss of a friend. He contributed notable papers in a prodigious number and trained a number of prominent botanists who now occupy responsible positions in several of our leading colleges and universities. There are two outstanding traits of character that all who were fortunate enough to know him have commented on: his ever lastingly great patience in attempting to solve a problem or to offer explanations to questions, and his ability to discover and relate in simple terms many of the problems on which his mind was constantly at work

Notes and News: West Virginia

During the past two years, the writer, while making a study of the plants of Wayne County, West Virginia, found a number of plants that had not been reported for this state. Some of these have been published in a recent report, but these additions, all collected in Wayne County, are offered as new plants for West Virginia. Specimens of all these plants have been deposited in the herbarium of the University of Kentucky, and duplicates of many of them have been sent to the herbarium of West Virginia University.

The endemics of the Stone Mountain region in Georgia are continuing to increase their number as that area is more thoroughly scoured at all seasons by collectors.

The discovery of a new station for Asplenium (Asplenosorus) cbenoides R. R. Scott is not in itself an extremely unusual occurrence and this hybrid will probably be reported eventually from all counties where its two parents Asplenium platyncuron and Camptosorus rhizophyllus are found together.,

Last year, during a short botanizing expedition to the eastern-most counties of Long Island, in company with Miss Elizabeth C. Hall., librarian of the New York Botanical Garden, and Mr. J. Harry Logan of the Torrey Botanical Club, the writer came upon a considerable colony of a puzzling little crucifer. This plant was growing in great numbers in a sandy field at Smithtown, at a considerable distance from any human habitation. On first glance, it greatly resembled Draba verna variously known as white-blow, shad-flower, nailwort, or vernal whitlow-grass. Close examination, however, soon revealed that it was not this species, nor, in fact, even a member of the genus Draba. On returning to New York, the writer turned the specimen over to Mr. E. J.. Alexander, curator of the Local Herbarium at the New York Botanical Garden, and he identified it as Teesdalia nudicaulis (L.) R. Br. [synonyms: Iberis nudicaulis L., Teesdalia iberis P. DC.].

For a number of years the writer has been engaged in a taxonomic and distributional study of the grasses of North Carolina. During this study about 345 species and varieties have been recorded for the state. Since the publication of the Manual of Grasses of the United States,1 continued collecting and search for additional specimens in various herbaria, have added several species not reported from the state and extended the local ranges of many others. While some of the grasses new to the state are undoubtedly transients of recent introduction, the majority are native or naturalized annuals and perennials. Of the latter some were to be expected in the state because North Carolina was included in their respective ranges, while the new records of others represent more or less marked extensions of range.

At the suggestion of Dr. E. L. Core, I undertook to examine the Juneaceae in the West Virginia University Herbarium. This collection was supplemented during the course of the study by loans kindly made by Dr. F. A. Gilbert, of Marshall College, and Prof. E. M. McNeill, of Concord State College, Athens, W. Va., from the herbaria of their institutions. Through the courtesy of Dr. Wm. R. Maxoni, I had access to the National Herbarium. Prof. M. L. Fernald and Dr. H. A. Gleason sought material in the Gray Herbarium and the New York Botanical Garden, respectively. Dr. F. J. Hermann patiently answered many questions concerning puzzling specimens and questions of nomenclature, and allowed me the use of his private herbarium. Deposition of specimens is indicated as follows: