72 Ohio Naturalist. [Vol. 1, No. 5. 



Evidently these buds retain more of the nature of the mother 

 plant than is common in flowers. It is unknown to me whether 

 similar observations have been made before. But it would be of 

 interest to make experiments with different i)lants. Would the 

 receptacles root and sprout if detached after flowering and fertiliza- 

 tion have taken place ? Would the buds sprout when left in situ on 

 the mother plant, after the flowering parts had been removed, the 

 receptacle only left in place? Will the buds of other genera of 

 Cacteae, and other similar succulent plants behave in the same way,, 

 under favorable conditions? 



So-called viviparous plants are, as is well known, rather common,, 

 e. g. among Gramineae, Cyperaceae, Polygoneae. But there the 

 actual flower parts develop into leaves, from which they had origi- 

 nally been derived, and while yet remaining on the parent plant. 



JVew Philadelphia, Ohio. ^ 



NOTE ON THE INYOLUCRAL LEAVES OF SYNDESMON. 



F. H. BURGLEHAUS. 



Syndesmon thalictroides is described in Britton & Brown's Floi'a 

 as having sessile involucral leaves, wliich character is contradicted 

 in the plants growing in the vicinity of Toledo. Careful observation 

 during the past season fails to reveal a single instance of sessile 

 involucral leaves, and most of the specimens examined have these 

 leaves borne on petioles from one-fourth to one-half inch in length. 

 Should like to hear from others concerning this feature of one of our 

 most beautiful and dainty spring flowers. 



Toledo, Ohio. 



COMPETITION IN BOTANY FOR OHIO SCHOOLS. 



W. A. Kellerman. 



Whatever may contribute to a more direct and real study of the 

 plant kingdom on the part of the pupils can well be encouraged by 

 the teacher. It is an unfortunate fact that in reference to a course 

 in botany the notion largely prevails that it consists of lesson-work 

 with a text-book like a course in history or algebra. It is often 

 more dreaded than the latter because of the supjiosed necessity of 

 learning a long list of difficult technical terms. Few teachex's would 

 be willing to give up the use of ^he text-book entirely and it is not 

 at all necessary that they should. But every teacher can now 

 choose a modern book of botany from the fairly long list that is 

 offered by American publishers. These are not mainly terminology 

 nor written with the chief aim of enabling the pupil, after having 

 gone through a sufficient number of»chapters, to "analyze " flowers. 



