238 Angewandte Botanik 



&' 



Burgerstein, A., Fortschritte in der Technik des Trei- 

 bens der Pflanzen. (Progressus Rei botanicae. IV. 1. p. 1—26. 

 8°. 7 Textfig. 1911.) 



Ein sorgfältig ausgearbeitetes Sammelreferat über die Methoden 

 der Aetherisierung, Chloroformierung, des Warmbades, Dampfba- 

 des, der Frostwirkung und des Trocknens. Der Abschnitt „Nach- 

 kultur von Zwiebeln (holländischer Hyazinthen und Tulpen) in 

 wärmeren Gebieten (z.B. Südfrankreich, Transvaal) ist sehr in- 

 teressant. — Leider ist gegenwärtig noch wenig bekannt, in welcher 

 Weise die verschiedenen Behandlungen (Kälte-Erwärmung, Aufnahme 

 von Wasser und anderseits Austrocknung) auf die plastischen Stoffe 

 in den Pflanzen wirken, um die Ruheperiode abzukürzen. 



Matouschek (Wien). 



Grabham, M., The Fertility and Extinction of Forest 

 Trees. (Nature N°. 2184. p. 315. 1911.) 



In connection with disforestation , reference is made to the great 

 destruction of forests in Madeira, and the success of introduced 

 trees. Pinus Pinaster planted 60 years ago is now 25—40 m. high; 

 P. insignis 26 years old is 30 m. high; other species are mentioned. 



W. G. Smith. 



Holm, T., Medicinal plants of North America. 5 5. Scutel- 

 laria lateriflora L. (Merck's Report. XX. p. 247—249. fig. 1—15. 

 Sept. 1911.) 



This species of Scutellaria was formerly fainous as a eure and 

 prophylactic against hydrophobin, but is at present hardly esteemed 

 to be of any remedial value; it contains scutellarin, which has, 

 also, been found in several other species of Labiatae. The plant is 

 figured and described. It has a stroloniferous rhizome, a character 

 not mentioned in systematic works. In the roots endodermis and 

 the pericycle remain intact, while the stele increases in thickness, 

 though only in a small extent. Although strictly subterranean the 

 stolons bear numerous glandulär hairs; endodermis is very distinet, 

 and the pericycle which consists of a Single, thinwalled layer, de- 

 velops no interfascicular mestome. In the stem above ground the 

 pericycle gives rise to stere'ids, furthermore to leptome and libri- 

 form. The leaf-strueture is dorsiventral, and the stomata lack sub- 

 sidiary cells, there is a Single layer of palisades, covering a very 

 open pneumatic tissue. With exception of hj^podermal strata of 

 collenchyma on both faces of the midrib, no other mechanical 

 tissue was observed in the leaf. Theo Holm. 



Holm, T., Medicinal plants of North America. 56. Acorus 

 Calamus L. (Merck's Report XX. p. 277—281. fig. 1—19. Oct. 1911.) 



The name of the drug is Calamus U. S.; it contains a glucoside 

 acorin, which by Oxydation forms acoretin; furthermore an alkaloid 

 calamine. The plant is figured and described, including the anatomy. 

 Much attention is given to its geographical distribution, and there 

 seems little reason to suppose that it was originally introduced from 

 Asia to Europe in the sixteenth Century. Several data in this re- 



