716 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



moment submerged in Hibiscus, so that Schumann's genus, though' 

 unfortunately named, may retain its present designation. If, however, 

 Alefeld's Triplochiton were at any time to be resuscitated, Schumann's 

 Triplochiton would automatically disappear, and the continued use of the 

 term Triplochitonese would become awkward, if not ambiguous. The 

 opportunity offered by the present adjustment of the status of the group 

 is therefore taken to provide it with a name which neither now nor in 

 future can give rise to any doubt or confusion. 



CRYPTOGAMS. 



Pteridophyta. 

 (By A. Gepp, M.A., F.L.S.) 



Apospory in Asplenium dimorphum.* — K. Goebel publishes an 

 interesting note on this subject. His observations on a specimen of 

 A. dimorphum in the Munich Botanical Garden, lead him to the con- 

 clusion that the occurrence of apospory is accidental, and is connected 

 with an abnormality of development. The plant in question showed 

 abnormal divisions of the thallus, and had narrower pinnae than the 

 other (fertile) ones. The sporangia were much reduced. Prothallia 

 were to be seen with the naked eye on the ends of the pinnae, and these 

 prothallia were transparent and provided with glandular and other hair 

 structures on the edge, the lower surface, and even between the sexual 

 organs. The details of both the plant and the prothallia are discussed, 

 and the author concludes that apospory and the development of pro- 

 thallia are dysteleologic — in other words, meaningless malformations. 

 The plant on which the observations were made eventually returned to 

 its normal condition. The author has observed apogamy on Trichomanes 

 Kraussii, as well as formation of prothallia from the apex of the first 

 leaf of a germinating plant. On the behaviour of the nuclei in cases of 

 apospory, the author can give no information. 



The Rhizophores of Selaginella.t — H. Bruchmann has made a 

 study of the rhizophores of S. Kraussiana A. Br., the well-known 

 African species which is so common in greenhouses. He deals shortly 

 with the work of other authors on the subject, and so far disagrees with 

 some of them as to maintain that all species of the genus possess rhizo- 

 phores, which may be small or large, slightly or much or not at all 

 branched. He describes his results under the following headings : The 

 germinating rhizophores ; development and structure of the rhizophores 

 of older plants ; phenomena of regeneration in the rhizophores of older 

 plants (including transformation of the rhizophore into leafy shoots and 

 the regeneration of the root-rudiments) ; the formation of " true " roots 

 by shoots ; final remarks. The author points out that the description 

 given by him of these organs in S. Kraussiana, must not be considered 

 as descriptive of all species of the genus. 8. Poulteri alone follows this 

 type, and S. helvetica, 8. denticulate, and 8. Douglasii resemble it in 

 position and growth of the rhizophores. Another type is represented by 



* Flora, xcv. (1905) pp. 239-44 (3 figs, in text). 

 t Tom. cit. pp. lo( 1-0(5 (2 pis.)- 



