Bd. XC11. No. 10. XXIV. Jahrgang. 



Botanisches Centralblatt. 



Referirendes Organ 



der 



Association internationale des Botanistes 



für das Gesammtgebiet der Botanik. 



Herausgegeben unter der Leitung 

 des Präsidenten : des Vice- Präsidenten : und des Secretärs : 



Prof. Dr. K. Goebel. Prof. Dr. F. 0. Bower. Dr. J. P. Lotsy. 



von zahlreichen Specialredacteuren in den verschiedenen Ländern. 



Dr. J. P. Lotsy, 



Chefredacteur. 



No. 10. 



Abonnement für das halbe Jahr 14 Mark 



durch alle Buchhandlungen und Postanstalten. 



1903. 



Alle für die Redaction bestimmten Sendungen sind zu richten an Herrn 

 Dr. J. P. LOTSY, Chefredacteur, Leiden (Holland), Oude Rijn 33 a. 



Referate. 



Willis, J. C, St u dies in theMorphology andEcologyof 

 t h e Podostemaceae o f Ceylon and India. (Annais of the 

 Royal Botanic Gardens, Peradeniya. Vol. I. Pt. IV. Sep- 

 tember 1902. p. 267—465. Plates IV— XXII, XXIV— XXVI, 

 XXVIII— XXXVIII.) 



An abstract of a paper of this type, containing as it does 

 innumerable interesting observations, must necessarily be but 

 a poor representation of the subject-matter and it is impossible 

 to do more than to pick out the apparently most important 

 points. Commencing with a brief discussion of the literature 

 involved (p. 267—275), Mr. Willis then devotes a few pages 

 to observations on the general conditions of life of the Podoste- 

 maceae (p. 275 — 290). This is followed by a detailed descrip- 

 tion of the individual genera, occurring in India and Ceylon 

 (p. 290 — 404), the remainder of the treatise consisting of 

 general conclusions, based on the foregoing matter. 



The general features of the life-history of the Podostemaceae 

 may be summed up in the authors own words as follows : 

 „the seeds germinate at the beginning of the rains, giving rise 

 to small primary axes from which the thalli, which form the 

 most important morphological feature of the order, bud out. 

 In all but Lauria the thallus is of „root" nature, with endo- 

 genous secondary leafy shoots, which ultimately become flori- 

 ferous, the flowers opening with the fall of the water in the 



Botan. Centralbl. Bd. XCII 1903. 13 



