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statement that "in wheat, the blade is twisted in the form of a loose right- handed screw. With rare exceptions, this direction of the screw is the same for all the leaf blades." But the illustrations in Percival's book, "The Wheat Plant" (pp. 70 and 71), as far as one can interpret them, seem to contradict this and must be among the rare exceptions.' With another group of plants, the Pandanaceae or Screw pines, though at first appearing fixed the constancy seemed to have many exceptions. The accompanying photo, plate 7 figure 1, with examples of the clockwise and contraclockwise screw beside one another, was taken in the New Territory many years ago.
When Mr. Chesterton wrote "A Short History of England" one of his reviewers said that an adequate and complete history of England could be compiled from what Mr. Chesterton had left out. In the case of Mr. Chesterton's work this was scarcely intended for a compliment. But if we say that there is room for a couple more volumes on the grasses treating of the material which Mrs. Arber has not inserted here and that we hope Mrs. Arber will write them, we mean it for a sincere compliment. She has not, for instance, touched on the geological history of the grasses at all. But we can wait in hope.
Even the most bounteous have not now, as Antony had, realms and islands to drop from their pockets but it is a popular fancy to think of how you would bestow them if you had. Well, if I were dictator I would give Mrs. Arber a dukedom for having written this book.
The Hong Kong Naturalist.
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