Morphologie, Teratologie, Befruchtung, Cytologie. 83 



restricted central area; the highly complicated nature of the pro- 

 embryo. 



The author then turns to a discussion of the morphology of the 

 ovulate strobilus of the Coniferales, and, by means of a detailed 

 comparative study of the vascular supply in the cone scale in the 

 Araucarineae and other forms, arrives at the conclusion that the 

 apparently simple cone scale of Agathis is really of Compound 

 nature, and represents the double structure of the Abietinean cone. 



The final conclusion reached is that the Avaucarineae represent 

 a highly specialized divergent branch of the Coniferales, and the 

 author dissents entirely from the opinion expressed by Seward 

 and Ford that the living and extinct Araucarians should form a 

 sub-division of the Gymnosperms, the 'Araucariales'. 



Agnes Arber (Cambridge). 



Farmer, J. B., Nuclear Osmosis and Meiosis. (New Phyt. 

 XII. p. 22-28. 1913.) 



A brief criticism of Lawson's views on nuclear osmosis and 

 meiosis was published by Farmer in the New Phytologist Vol. 

 XI. p. 139, 1912. The present paper is devoted to a criticism of the 

 third instalment of Lawson's nuclear studies, and especially to a 

 discussion of the replies made by him to the points previously raised 

 by Farmer. Agnes Arber (Cambridge). 



Sinnott, E. W., The Morphology of the Reproductive 

 Structures in the Podocarpineae. (Ann. Bot. XXVII. p. 39— 82. 

 5 pl. 9 textfigs. 1913.) 



The author points out that, owing to the restriction of the 

 Podocarpineae to the Southern Hemisphere, botanists who have 

 investigated their morphology were generally compelled to work 

 with fragmentary and poorly preserved material. The material on 

 which the present paper is based, on the other band, was obtained 

 and fixed on the spot during 1910 — 11 in Australia and New 

 Zealand, and represents vegetative and reproductive structures in 

 several genera and a large number of species. The morphology of 

 the ovulate strobilus of Podocarpus, Dacrydium and Phyllocladus is 

 fully described and illustrated, and our knowledge of the male and 

 female gametophyte, fertilization and embryology in the order is 

 considerably extended. 



A large part of the paper is occupied by discussion of the affi- 

 nities of the Podocarpineae. 



The conclusion reached is that the close resemblance of Podo- 

 carpus to the Ahietineae in the development of the male and female 

 gametophytes and the embryo, as well as in the anatomy of the 

 staminate and ovulate strobili, Warrants the hypothesis that the 

 Podocarpineae have been derived from the Ahietineae through forms 

 somewhat resembling Podocarpus. Certain points of similarity be- 

 tween Podocarpineae and Araucarineae suggest that these two fami- 

 lies may have both arisen from an ancient group, closel}^ abieti- 

 neous in affinity. The advantages of the hypothesis are that it is in 

 harmony with the view that the Ahietineae are the most ancient 

 Conifers; that ii accounts for the wide Variation in the genus Podo- 

 carpus, and that it offers a reasonable explanation of the origin 



