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Botanical Notes. 
A Strange Thing in Peppers. While examining some peppers 
for a new anthracnose, a peculiar structure was found within one 
of the fruits. In the ordinary mature pepper there isa fleshy 
columella rising from the base half way to the 
apex, upon which the seeds are borne. In the 
fruit in question this columella or compound 
placente was crowned by a small fruit not at all 
‘unlike a normal pod and was green. Theaccom- 
panying outline engraving shows the position of 
the internal parts of the pepper with the young 
fruit in position. While it is interesting to go off 
into abstruse philosophy and endeavor to account 
for this strange method of secondary fruiting, the 
writer will restrain himself and leave the fact for those who may 
be inclined to speculate with. BYRON D. HALSTED. 
Hybrid Plants——Why should we assume that because a form 
of Solidago serotina is sterile, that it may, ¢herefore, be a hybrid ? 
Is the sterile form of Cuicus arvensisa hybrid? Possibly I have 
had as much experience by actual experiments in hybridizing as 
any one, but I never found hybrids any more sterile than other 
plants. On the other hand I have known of numerous cases of 
sterility, that are certainly not hybrids, so numerous as to con- 
siderably outweigh the latter. THOos. MEEHAN. 
Melia Azederach.—We used to get seed from Alabama and 
Mississippi. The plants were easily killed by light winters. 
Seeds from Virginia give plants that prove hardy in German- 
town, near Philadelphia. This is also true of Magnolia grandt- 
flora. The facts are interesting as showing that the common be- 
lief in acclimation is not wholly a myth. THOS. MEEHAN. 
The Pubescence of the Achenes of Solidago. \ have examined 
a considerable number of specimens of Soltdago with 
pubesent achenes. And in every case, so far, I have found the 
hairs of this pubesence ¢wém, that is, there are always two 
cylindrical cells grown together longitudinally, and separate, if at 
all, only near the apex. _ JoHN M, HOLZINGER. 
