194 Physiologie. 



usitatisshnum, having blue, red, or white flowers, contains the 

 cyanophoric glucoside linamarin and the corresponding enzyme 

 linase. The second group, including the j^ellow-flowered species of 

 arboreal habit {L. arboreum, L. flavum, etc.). apparentl}^ contains 

 neither the glucoside nor the enzyme. It is proved that whereas 

 the enzyme extracted from Phaseohis lunatus is about equally active 

 towards -linamarin and prunasin, that present in Linum is much 

 less active towards prunasin; hence it is probable that linase is 

 usually accompanied bj^^ prunase and is itself without action on 

 prunasin. F. Cavers. 



Keeble, F. and E. F. ArmstFong. The oxydases of Cytisus 

 Adami. (Proc. Roy. Soc. LXXXV. 581. p. 460-465. 1912.) 



This investigation was undertaken with a twofold object: 1) to 

 lest Baur's hypothesis that this graft-hybrid is a periclinal chimaera 

 composed of an epidermis derived from C. ptirpuretis and a body 

 derived from C. Laburmim; 2) to ascertain whether migration of 

 oxydases may occur in piants. The results confirm Baur's conclu- 

 sions, and indicate that oxydases may pass from one tissue to 

 another. Tests applied to the flowers of the three forms showed 

 that C. Adami and C. purpureus contain a direct epidermal oxydase 

 and that C. Laburmon does not; also that a direct oxydase is con- 

 tained in the veins of C. purpureus, while the veins of C. Adami 

 and C. Laburnutn contain Peroxydase and not a direct oxydase. In 

 other words, C. Adami is identical with C. purpureus with regard 

 to its epidermal oxydase, and with C. Laburriurn with regard to 

 its bündle oxydase. The evidence pointing to oxydase migration is 

 as foUows. The buff Standards of C. Adami, like the yellow Standards 

 of C. Laburnum, are marked by lines of chocolate colour, due to 

 anthocyan pigment contained in subepidermal cells. Sections across 

 these pigmented areas of C. Adami show that thej'^ coincide with 

 deepl}»^ pigmented epidermal cells. Over the other parts of the Standard 

 the pigmentation of the epidermis is faint; over the subepidermal 

 pigmented areas it is well-marked. Inasmuch as the fainter pigmen- 

 tation is due to Inhibition of pigment-formation, it is concluded that 

 the deeper pigmentation is to be attributed to the passage of 0x3'- 

 dase from subepidermal pigmented cells to contiguous epidermal 

 cells. The failure of the buff flowers of C. Adami to develop their 

 purple pigment as fully as that pigment is developed in the purple 

 flowers becomes intelligible on the hypothesis of oxydase migration; 

 for whereas the purple-flowered branches contain a bündle ox3'dase 

 which may reinforce that of the epidermis in effecting pigment- 

 formation, the vascular tissues of C. Adami contain no direct oxy- 

 dase and hence cannot aid the epidermal cells in their work of 

 pigment-production. F. Cavers. 



Lewis, F. J., On induced variations in the osmotic pres- 

 sure and sodium chloride content of the leaves of 

 non-halophytes. (New Phytologist. XI. 7. p. 255—264. 1912.) 



In an investigation on the efTect of spray containing NaCl on 

 the leaves of non-halophj^tes, the author made a series of experi- 

 ments on the increase in NaCl content and rise of osmotic pressure 

 in leaves immersed in sea-water and in NaCl Solutions. The results 

 are given in a series of tables, and lead the author to the following 

 general conclusions: 1) Camellia japonica, Syringa vtdgaris and 



