Morphologie, Teratologie, Befruchtung, Cytologie. 339 



the two teeth; in the lower part only two Strands are formed, re- 

 presenting the basal undivided portions of the teeth. 



In the outer peristomial layer thickenings are deposited also 

 upon the transverse walls, representing the transverse ridges of 

 the teeth. 



In the undivided basal portion of each tooth a üne median 

 longitudinal line on the inner surface represents the vestiges of the 

 radial walls between two rows of peristomial cells. 



In the basilar membrane the thickening of the walls in the 

 outer peristomial laj'^er is uniform except in case of the outer walls. 



Jongmans. 



Gortner, R. A. and J. A. Harris. On a possible relationship 

 between the structural peculiarities of normal and 

 teratological fruits of Passiflora gracilis and some physico- 

 chemical properties of their expressed Juices. (Bull. 

 Torrey Bot. Club. XL. p. 27—34. 1913.) 



From the determination of the depression of the freezing point, 

 the specific gravity, and the total solids in the expressed juice of 

 23 samples of abnormal fruits of Passiflora gracilis and a like num- 

 ber of Controls, the authors are led to the following conclusions: 



The experiments indicate that the juice of abnormal fruits has 

 a higher osmotic pressure (greater depression of the freezing point) 

 than that of normals. This is true whether the abnormality be a 

 meristic Variation in the fruit wall — i. e. an increase in the num- 

 ber of external sutures or of the number of placentae over the 

 normal condition — or the production of an entirely new structure 

 in the form of an included whorl or whorls of accessory carpels 

 springing from the floor of the fruit (prolification of the fruit). 



The average molecular weight of the substances in Solution in 

 the plant sap is, apparently, lower in the abnormal truits, but this 

 is less consistently true for the various classes of structural aberra- 

 tions recognized. 



While the findings are fairly consistent throughout, it must be 

 remembered that the problem is surrounded with many difficulties. 

 A wider series of material is desirable and many questions remain 

 to be investigated. Furthermore, it is clear that the whole problem 

 of the nature of the relationship between the structure of the fruits 

 and the properties of the juice remains to be worked out. The 

 authors claim to have demonstrated that the physico-chemical pro- 

 perties of the plant sap deserve consideration as a first slep in the 

 analysis of the factors involved in morphological variations of 

 the fruit. Jongmans. 



Harris, J. A., On the relationship between the number 

 of ovules formed and the capacity of the ovary for 

 maturing its ovules into seeds. (Bull. Torrey Bot. Club. 

 XL. p. 447—455. 2 Diagrams. 1913.) 



In dwarf varieties of garden beans, Phaseolus vulgaris, there 

 is but a slight relationship between the number of ovules per ovary 

 and its capacity for maturing these ovules into seeds. So lax is this 

 relation that in working with only moderately large samples both 

 positive and negative values of the coefficient may be found in the 

 same strain of material. 



Such a relationship does, however, exist. So far as the mate- 



