7 
Starch in Tracheal Ducts. 
In Botanische Zeitung, No. 10, 1887, Joseph Schrenk speaks 
of the formation of starch in the ducts of Aristolochia’ Serpen- 
taria, L. Alfred Fisher had reported the occurrence of starch in 
the ducts of Plantago major, L., and had left the fact to be ex- 
plained by future investigation (Bot. Zeitung, xliii, p. 89). 
J. Schrenk noticed that in the rhizoma of Aristolochia Ser- 
pentaria the interior of the ducts was frequently crowded with 
those peculiar intrusions from contiguous parenchyma cells, which 
are known as tylosis. He found an abundance of starch in the 
intruding portions of these cells, which would satisfactorily ac- 
count for the presence of starch in dotted ducts; whether this 
explanation would hold good in regard to spzra/ ducts, the writer 
of the article is not prepared to decide, as he is not informed of 
the occurrence of starch in the tylosis cells inside of such vessels, 
In a note to the article, Prof. de Bary refers to his book (Verg]. 
Anatomie, p. 179), from which we learn that Unger (Sitzungsber. 
d. Wiener Acad., I Abth,, 1867) has described tylosis in spiral 
trachez. I seize this opportunity to direct the attention of Amer- 
ican students to de Bary’s standard work, which, in its English 
version, opens to us such vast treasures of botanical knowledge. 
J. SCHRENK. 
Index to Recent American Botanical Literature. 
Agarics, North American.—The Subgenus Amanita.—A. P. 
Morgan. (Journ. Mycol., iii., pp. 25-33.) 
Twenty eight species are described, none of them new to sci- 
ence. A key to the species is given. 
American Violets. (Garden, xxxi., pp. 168, 169. Plate 584.) 
The colors of the plate hardly do justice to the delicacy and 
brightness of tint of our ‘‘ Bird-foot Violet,” though the writer 
speaks in highest terms of this and others of our species. 
Baptisia calycosa, var. villosa, n. var. Wm. M. Canby. (Bot. 
Gazette, xii., p. 39.) 
This new variety is based on Curtis’ No. 699, collected in 
Wilson County, Florida. 
Botanical Fournals.—C: E. Bessey. (Amer. Nat., xxi., pp. 
79-81.) 
