86 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



Symbiotic Fermentation.*— Dr. A. Macfadyen records an interest- 

 ing example of symbiotic fermentation arising from the co-operation of 

 Amylomyces Bouxii and yeast. A. Bouxii is a saccharifying mould,, 

 and though it can work alone, ferments the sugar it has formed much 

 better when acting in combination with a yeast. 



Tables are given showing the difference in the result of the single 

 and double action. 



B. CRYPTOGAMIA. 



Cryptogamia Vascularia. 



Anatomy of Tropical Species of Lycopodium.f— After a description 

 of several tropical species of Lycopodium from Java— L. Phlegmaria,, 

 filiforme, nummularifolium, serratum, clavatum (var. divaricatum), and 

 complanatum — Herr K. Linsbauer makes some general remarks on their 

 comparative anatomy. 



Connected with the dorsiventral structure of the leaves, the elements 

 of the upper surface are usually larger, and more strongly thickened and 

 cuticularised, than those of the under surface. In contrast to the Sela- 

 ginellacefe, the stomates are hardly ever placed above a leaf-vein. The 

 fundamental tissue is differentiated into an assimilating parenchymatous 

 and a prosenchymatous tissue serving partly for the conduction of food- 

 material and partly for a mechanical function, but a typical assimilating 

 tissue is wanting in the orthotropous forms. The conducting bundles 

 differ also in the orthotropous and the pla^iotropous forms, the xylem 

 being very much more strongly developed in the latter than in the 

 former. The tracheids are usually furnished with roundish or scalari- 

 form pits. 



Chlorophylls of Ferns.} — M. A. Fjtard has isolated from ferns (As- 

 pidium filix-femina)]&n alcohol, C 16 H 32 0, carrotin, and three forms of 

 chlorophyll with very high formulae to which he gives the name aspidio- 

 phylls. 



Anatomy of the Ophioglosse8e.§— Mr. L. A. Boodle has obtained 

 the following general results from a study of various species of Ophio- 

 glossum and Botrychium. The root of 0. vulgatum is monarch as regards 

 its xylem, but the phloem has an indication of the presence of two pro- 

 tophloems. Monarch structure also occurs at the base of diarch root- 

 lets in 0. pendulum and B. Lunaria. The root-stele of 0. vulgatum has 

 probably become monarch by reduction from [diarch structure, viz. 

 by the abortion of one of the xylem-groups and the fusion of the two 

 phloem-groups. A small amount of secondary thickening takes place 

 in the root and stem of 0. vulgatum, xylem-elaments only being added. 

 Secondary thick 3ning occurs also in the root-bases of B. Lunaria. 



Helminthostachys.||— Prof. J. B. Farmer and Mr. W. G. Freeman 

 have studied the structure and affinities of Eelmintliostachys zeylanica r 

 the following being among the more important results. The plant is 



* Trans. Jermer (late British) Inst. Prev. Med., 1809, series ii. pp. 207-18. 

 t SB. k. Akad. Wiss. Wien, evii. (1898) pp. 995-1030 (3 pis.). 

 % Ann. Agron., xxv. (1899) pp. 393-4. See Journ. Chem. Soc, 1899, Abstr., ii. 

 p. 792. § Ann. of Bot., xi i. (1899) pp. 377-94 (1 pi.). 



|| Tom. cit., p t . 421-45(3 pis.). „ 



