Morphologie, Teratologie, Befruchtung, Cj'tologie. 503 



tative samples they lead to the same conclusion, There are strong 

 evidences that some strains of Phaseohis differ from others in the 

 sign of this relationship. Indeed the Kansas series of Cercis differs 

 rather conspicuously from others in the intensity of the negative 

 correlations. 



The conclusions concerning capaciry for seed development here 

 drawn are based upon mature pods only. One of the most important 

 things to be done is to determine the relation of this phenomcnon 

 to the intra-individual selective elimination of ovaries, if it occurs 

 in Cercis. All of the data here discussed were collected before this 

 ditferential failure of ovaries in Staphylea was demonstrated. As 

 yet, it has not been possible to obtain adequate materials forsolving 

 the Problem for Cercis. 



f. This paper is exclusively a Statement of observed facts. The 

 writer has no explanation to offer of the relationships which have 

 been regularly found when adequately large series of data have 

 been analyzed. Theories as to the causes underlying the conditions 

 observed seem to the writer, in view of the numerous difficulties 

 of the Problem, premature. Upon the painstaking coUections of 

 facts in regards to natural phenomena, whether or not they can 

 be lined up with current theories, seems to the writer to rest the 

 real advance of biology. When more comprehensive data are 

 available — man^^ of which are alread}'' collected and in an advanced 

 stage of reduction — it will be much safer to consider causal phases 

 of the phenomena. Jongmans. 



Lignier, O. e t A. Tison. L'ovule tritegumente des Giietum 

 est probablement un axe d'inflorescence. (Bull. Soc. bot. 

 de France. LX. p. 64-72. 5 Fig. 1913.) 



Les auteurs ont etudie une fleur femelle anormale qui doit 

 vraisemblablement etre rapporte au Gnetiim scandens Roxb, 



De tous les faits observes les auteurs sont araene ä conclure: 



V. Que la piece anormale, objet de cette etude, est un noeud 

 de Taxe d'inflorescence devenu, il est vrai, terminal par avortement 

 du point de Vegetation qui l'a forme, mais portant, comme les 

 autres, une coUerette et un ovule axillaire. 



20. Que la collerette de ce noeud restee appliquee contre la 

 surface de l'ovule axillaire, s'est accrue en meme temps que lui et 

 s'est ainsi transformee en un veritable tegument supplementaire, 

 d'oü il resulte que cet ovule possede quatre enveloppes. 



3^. Que dans l'ovule inclus la deuxieme enveloppe a partir du 

 nucelle est exceptionnellement axillante d'un groupe de fleurs mäles 

 normales. 



4''. Que, vraisemblablement, ce qu'on appelle habituellement ovule 

 tritegumente chez les Gnetiini, represente en realite un axe simple, 

 DU peut-etre compose, pourvu de deux coUerettes nodales succes- 

 sives, embolt^es l'une dans l'autre (3^ et 2^ enveloppes) et qui est 

 termine par un ovaire pluriloculaire {V^^ enveloppe) ä l'interieur 

 duquel se trouve, comme chez le Welwitschia, un seul ovule. basi- 

 laire, orthotrope, dresse et nu. 



5°. Que ce pseudo-ovule des Grietiirn semble, par suite, devoir 

 etre compare au bourgeon sexue de Welwitschia, l'ovaire {V^ enve- 

 loppe) et son nucelle etant presque identiques dans les deux genres. 



Les deux enveloppes externes (2« et 3'^) des Guetmn correspon- 

 dent aux deux verticilles inferieurs dits perianthaires du Welwitschia. 



