192 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



Japanese Ferns.* — T. Makino gives descriptions of the following 

 Japanese ferns : — Plagiogyria stenoptera Diels, P. Hayatana (new species), 

 Monachosorum nipponicum (new species), Athyriwn Nakanoilnevr species), 

 Blechnum nipponicum Makino, Polypodium Engleri var. yalcushimense 

 (new variety) ; and supplies an analytical key to the Japanese species of 

 Plagiogyria. 



Structure and Position of Pinakodendron.f — R. Carnbier and A. 

 Renier publish some observations on Pinalcodendron, of the three species 

 of which little has been known hitherto. Being in possession of fine 

 specimens of P. Macconochiei from Charleroi, they give a more complete 

 account of the structure of the stem and branches, when it is concluded 

 that Pinalcodendron belongs to the Lepidodendrese as much as do 

 Asolanus and Bothrodendron, the chief characters being found in the 

 details of leaf -scars and the ornamentation of the bark. Cyclostigma 

 has great affinity with Pinalcodendron. P. Macconochiei appears to be 

 specifically distinct from P. musivum and P. Ohmanni, but possibly the 

 two latter are con specific. 



New Fossil Dadoxylon.J— M. I). Zalessky gives a preliminary account 

 of Dadoxylon Trifilievi, a new species found in the Upper Devonian of 

 the Donetz basin in Russia. The medulla of its stem is surrounded by 

 numerous bundles of primary xylem with mesarch structure and mostly 

 contiguous to the secondary wood, which is of the Dadoxylon type. The 

 author shows how the structure approaches D. Spenceri on the one hand 

 and Pitys antiqua on the other. 



Aloys Sodiro.§ — Porter publishes an obituary notice of A. Sodiro, 

 who died at Quito in June, 1909. A native of Italy, he acquired his 

 early knowledge of plants in the southern countries of Europe. Going 

 to Ecuador in 1870 he succeeded to the professorship at Quito held 

 by W. Jameson. In studying the ferns and flowering plants of 

 Ecuador he had great difficulties to contend against, amongst others, 

 a lack of named specimens and of botanical books. He published 

 several papers, the most important being his Cryptogams Vasculares 

 Qui tenses. || 



Bryophyta, 

 (By A. Gepp.) 



• Spermatogenesis of Mnium.f — M. Wilson publishes a preliminary 

 note on the spermatogenesis of Milium hornum. He cites the statement 

 of Arensand of Docters van Leeuwen-Reijnvaan, and points out wherein 

 his own results differ from theirs, giving in brief many details concern- 

 ing the nuclear changes observed during the development of the 

 antheridium and spermatocytes. 



* Bot. Mag. Tokyo, xxiii. (1909) pp. 244-8. 

 t Comptes Rendus cxlix. (1909) pp. 1167-9. 



t Bull. Acad. Imp. Sci. St. Pe'tersbourg, ser. 6, No. 18 (1909) pp. 1175-8. 



§ Le Monde des Plantes, (1909) xi. pp. 47-48.). 



|| Quito (1893) 670 pp. (7 pis.). % Ann. Bot., xxiv. (1910) p. 235. 



