642 Morphologie etc. — Ph3^siologie. 



Papkin, J., The Evolution ofthe In florescence. (Rep. brit. 

 Ass. Adv. Sc. Winnepeg. 1909. Sekt. K. p. 662—664.) 



The author, from a comparative study of the subject, has been 

 led to believe that flowers were originally borne on the plant singl3^ 

 each terminal to a leafy shoot. This arrangement is still retained 

 in Magnolia, Calycanthiis, etc. The next step is the formation of a 

 simple cyme, usually a dichasium. If the buds in the axils of 

 several leaves on the main axis, instead of only two or three, 

 produce lateral shoots each ending in a flower, a pleiochasium 

 results, and this may be regarded as the first stage in the evolution 

 of racemose inflorescences. In the author's opinion, racemose infio- 

 rescences have ahvays proceeded from cymose ones, and are there- 

 fore, on the whole, a later type. Agnes Arber (Cambridge.) 



Stephens, E. L., The Development of the seedcoat of 

 Cavica papaya. (Ann. of Bot. XXIV. p. 607—610. ill. 1910.) 



When mature the seed coat of Carica papaya consists of two 

 separable layers — a hard reddishbrown endotesta, covered by a 

 soft white sarcotesta. The endotesta is ridged longitudinalh^ and 

 the sarcotesta fills up the hollows between the ridges, so that the 

 surface of the undried seed is smooth. 



It is found, on following the development, that the sarcotesta 

 is derived entirely from the growth and division of the epidermis 

 of the outer integument. The endotesta is formed partly from the 

 inner and partly from the outer integument. The histology is descri- 

 bed in detail. Agnes Arber (Cambridge.) 



Stopes, M. C, Adventitious Budding and Branching in 

 Cycas. (New Phyt. IX. p. 235—241. ill. 1910.) 



The author, while in Japan, had the opportunity of examining 

 a number of specimens of Cycas revohita, and found that they 

 branched more frequently and more richly than would be gathered 

 from the references in the literature. 



Remarkable little bulbils were seen growing all over the thick 

 trunks, and on examination these proved to be buds arising from 

 the leaf bases. They seemed at first to be in no way connected 

 with the tissues of the axis. The author believes that the majority 

 of branched plants are simply those in which one (or more) of these 

 adventitious buds, developed from the leaf bases, has grown until 

 it rivals the main axis. Agnes Arber (Cambridge.) 



Juckenack, A. und C. Griebel. Ueber den Einfluss strych- 

 ni n haltiger Nahrung auf Insekten. (Ztschr. Unters. Nah- 

 rungs- und Genussmittel, XIX. 10. p. 571—573. 1910.) 



Die von den Verf zur Untersuchung herangezogenen Insekien: 

 Larve der iMotte {Tinea pellionella L.), Mehlzünsler {Ephestia Küh- 

 niella) und Brotkäfer {Anohium panicimi) konnten verhältnismässig 

 grosse Mengen Strychnin mit ihrer Nahrung fortdauernd ohne jede 

 Schädigung aufnehmen und unverändert wieder abscheiden. 



Schälzlein (Mannheim). 



Rosenthal, J., Die Wirkungsweise der Enzyme und die Zer- 



