568 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



Constituents of Acacia and Gambier Catechus. * — A. G. Perkin 

 and E. Yoshitake report the results of analysis and study of the catechus 

 extracted from Acacia Catechu and Uncaria Gambier. They prove the 

 existence of at least three catechins with melting-points 30 degrees 

 apart from each other. 



Lecithin in Plants.! — M. Schlagdenhauffen and Reeb describe their 

 method of estimating lecithin in terms of phosphoric acid, and the 

 amounts obtained in the various plants with which they experimented. 



Saponarin. J — G. Barger has prepared this new glucoside from 

 Saponaria, and describes its properties. It resembles scutellarin, which 

 has recently been prepared from Scutellaria.^ 



Taxine.|| — T. E. Thorpe and G. Stubbs have investigated the alkaloid 

 of yew, extracted from autumn-gathered leaves of male and female trees, 

 by digesting with 1 p.c. sulphuric acid for 5 or 6 days. The acid liquid 

 was strained and pressed from the leaves, rendered alkaline and ex- 

 tracted with ether. Taxine was obtained in the form of very fine 

 glistening particles, by crushing down the residue from the ether ex- 

 tract ; it is very susceptible to change. Several salts were prepared and 

 analysed, and the figures deduced are in substantial agreement with the 

 formula C 37 H 52 NO 10 , given by Hilger and Brande. The authors, how- 

 ever, are not of opinion that this formula is definitely established. 



Structure and Development. 

 Vegetative. 



Leaf-Anatomy of Rutaceae.lf — H. Schulze has studied the leaf- 

 anatomy of a number of species, representing 34 genera of this family. 

 He finds as great a variety in internal structure as in external form, so 

 that it is impossible to define any general type. The presence of 

 secretory spaces affords a constant character, an exception occurring 

 only in Fagara Pterota, which has oil-cells. Considerable agreement 

 is found between the members of the subdivisions of the order, especially 

 in the Diosrneas. Leaf-structure is in the great majority dorsiventral, 

 but sometimes isobilateral, more rarely almost centric. The cells of 

 the epidermis vary very much in size, the radial walls are straight, so 

 the cells appear polygonal in surface view. The occurrence of an 

 epidermal mucilage is very frequent, and specially characterises the 

 Diosmeae, in which it was found in 40 out of 41 species. It was also 

 observed in the Xanthoxyleae, Flindersieae, and Toddalieae. Stomata 

 in the dorsiventral leaves are found mostly only on the under face ; in 

 some Diosmeae they are limited to two narrow zones on the under face ; 

 they belong to no definite type, and generally show no subsidiary cells. 

 Hairs are generally present ; they vary in form, but one-celled, often very 

 short, hairs are common. In the dorsiventral leaf the mesophyll is 



* Journ. Chem. Soc, lxxxi. (1902) pp. 1160-73. 

 t Comptcs Rendus, cxxxv. (1902) pD. 205-8. 



X Ber. Deutseh. Chem. Ges., xxxv. (1902) pp. 1296-8. See also Journ. Chem 

 Soc, lxxxii. (1902) i. p. 387. 



§ See this Journal, ante, p. 315. 

 II Proc. Chem. Soc., xviii. (1902) pp. 123-5. 

 f Beih. Bot. Centralbl., xii (1902) pp. 55-98 (2 pis.). 



