444 SUMMAKY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



Structure and Development. 

 Vegetative. 



Anatomy of Ranunculaceae.* — H. Lonay has studied the anatomical 

 structure of the pericarp and seed-coat in a large number of genera and 

 species of this family. In the first part of his paper he describes the 

 detailed structure of the walls of the carpels, ovules, and seeds, and the 

 character of the albumen, at various stages of development in six types, 

 namely Ranunculus arvensis, Thalictrum Jlavum, Clematis Vitalba, 

 Helleborus fcetidus, Delphinium Ajacis, and Paeonia officinalis. These 

 represent types of organisation about which it is possible to group the 

 species of Ranunculaceae. 



In the second part he gives a general account of the structure of 

 ovary wall, pericarp, and seed-coat, in these and other genera ; as many 

 species as could be obtained were examined. An anatomical diagnosis 

 of the genera follows. The author then criticises previous tribal 

 divisions of the order and suggests six tribes, as follows, giving the 

 anatomical characters of the ovary, &c. as based on his work. 



(1) EanunculeaB, including Ranunculus, Ceratocephalus, Ficaria, 

 Oxygraphis, and Myosurus. 



(2) Thalictreae, including Thalictrum and Adonis. 



(3) Anemoneaa, including Knowltonia, Anemone, Hepatica, and 

 Clematis. 



(4) Helleboreae, including Helleborus, Trollius, Caltha, Eranthis, and 

 Aquilegia. 



(5) Delphiniese, including Isopyrum, Garidella, Nigella, Aconitum, and 

 Delphinium. 



(6) Pasoniese, including Actsea, Cimicifuga, and Paeonia. 



The author concludes by giving a clavis for the determination of 

 genera and one for the determination of the species which he has 

 studied. 



Anatomy of the Leaves in the Ranunculaceae.f — J. Goffart arrives 

 at the following conclusions from the study of the development and 

 structure of the leaf (including bracts and bud-scales) in a large series 

 of species. The genera are characterised not only by their floral, but 

 also by their vegetative organs, especially by the leaves. Some genera 

 resist more than others the influence of their present environment, and 

 it is these genera that present fewer intermediate forms, and are conse- 

 quently best characterised by vegetative organs. Study of the leaf- 

 anatomy supplies additional material for deciding on the suppression or 

 maintenance of disputed genera. For instance, Hepatica is not suffi- 

 ciently characterised by its vegetative organs to justify a separation from 

 Anemone, and the same holds for Nigella and Garidella, Actsea and 

 Cimicifuga, and Ficaria, Oxygraphis, and Ranunculus. Tho study of 

 anatomical characters confirms generally recognised systems of classi- 

 fication. In most of the genera anatomy is a help to the arrangement 

 and determination of species. 



* Archiv. de lTnstit. Bot. de l'Univ. de Liege, iii. (1901) pp. 164 (21 pis.). 

 t Tom. cit., pp. 190 (14 pis.). 



