Brj-ophyten. — Floristik, Geographie, Systematik etc. 11 



the Acrogynae are shown as allied to Fossombronia through Lophoaia, 

 from which can be traced three main lines: 1) direct through Sphe- 

 nolobus to the Scapaniaceae and on to Radulaceae, Porellaceac and 

 Lejeuneaceae, the Pleitrosiaceae being a Lateral off shoot. 2) A second 

 line leads through Plagiochila and Lophocolea etc. to Cephaloaiaceae, 

 and through Lepidosia to Ptilidiaceae. 3) A third line leads through 

 Marsupella to Southbya and other marsupial genera. A bibliography 

 oi' 85 items is appended to the paper. A. Gepp. 



Cavers, F., The lnter-relationship of the Bryophvta. V. 

 Anthocerotales. (New Phytol. IX. 10. p. 341-353. December 1910.) 



The author gives an account of the morphological and anato- 

 mical characters of the thallus of Anthoceros and describes the deve- 

 lopment of the reproductive organs and of the sporogonium, and 

 the characters of the mature sporogonium. He then shows in what 

 respects the allied genera, Dendroceros, Notothylas and Megaceros, 

 differ from Anthoceros and from one another. Äs to the systematic 

 Position which the Anthocerotales should occupy, he cites M. A. 

 Howe's Summary of the characters which are held to mark off the 

 Anthocerotales from the remaining Hepaticae; but he considers that 

 the significance of these characters has been much exaggerated, 

 leading to a deal of doubtful speculation regarding the relationships 

 of the Archegoniatae and the origin of the Pteridophyta. He discusses 

 the said characters one by one and shows them to be less distinc- 

 tive than they at first appear to be. The Anthocerotales probably 

 have arisen from forms like the Sphaerocarpales ; they have retained 

 a meristematic zone at the base of the sporogonium, and their 

 antheridia originally exogenous have become endogenous; the for- 

 mation of antheridial groups is of secondary importance. The cha- 

 racters which distinguish the Anthocerotean sporogonium are more 

 or less definitery correlated with the persistence of the basal me- 

 ristematic tissue, and are connected with the nutrition of the spores. 

 The maturing spore-tissue situated above the meristem is cut off 

 from the mother plant; hence supplies have to be manufactured by 

 the sporogonium itself, which latter accordingly is elaborately equip- 

 ped for a sub-independent life. A. Gepp. 



Bower, F. O., Plant-Life on Land considered in Some 

 of its Biological aspects. (172 pp. 27 figs. Univ. Press, Cam- 

 bridge, 1911.) 

 This small volume contains a series of Essa}'s, populär in treat- 

 ment, dealing with various aspects of land-vegetation. The following 

 subjects are included: Present-day Botany; The Beach and the 

 Rocks; The Bracken Fern; The Flower and Metamorphosis; Polli- 

 nation and Fertilisation; Fixity of Position as a Factor in the Evo- 

 lution of Plants; Plant- Population; Sand Dunes; Golf Links; General 

 Outlook on the Flora of the Land. F. W. Oliver. 



De Wildeman, E., Flore du Bas- et du Moyen-Congo. (Etu- 

 des de systematique et de geographie botaniques. III. 2. p. 149—316. 

 pl. XXVIII— IL. nov. 1910.) 

 Ce fascicule contient des donn^es nouvelles sur plus de 800 



