Angewandte Botanik. 189 



there is no endodermis, and no pericycle either, but a band of 

 isolated Strands of stereome. As the twigs grows older secondarj- 

 Strands of stereome become developed in several concentric bands. 

 The leaf-structure is dorsiventral, and the midrib represents a stele 

 of several coUateral mestome-strands, supported by arches of thick- 

 walled stereome on the leptome-side. In Castanea pumila the dorsal 

 face of the leaf is completely covered by thickwalled, stellate hairs; 

 the midrib contains three separate Strands of mestome, two dorsal, 

 and one ventral. Theo Holm. 



Holm, T., Medicinal plants of North America. 89. Veratrutn 

 viride Art. (Merck's Report. XXIV. p. 109—111. f. 1 — 12. May 1915.) 



The Chemical composition of Veratruni viride being so closely 

 analogous to that of V. alhuni a review ot the chemical history of 

 both species is given. It is the rhizome with the roots that is em- 

 ployed. Attention is called to the fact that in V. viride the inner 

 perianth-leaves are distinctly bidentate near the middle, a character 

 hitherto overlooked. In respect to the anatomy of the vegetative 

 Organs, the roots possess a contractile exodermis with distinct Cas- 

 paryan spots just like an endodermis; the endodermis is thickened 

 in the manner of a U-endodermis, and the pericambium is continuous. 

 The rhizome lacks endodermis and pericycle, the mestome Strands 

 being located in a huge, starch bearing parenchyma ; they are 

 mostly collateral, and destitute of mechanical support, such as 

 stereome. The aerial stem has many longitudinal crests with Strands 

 of stereome, each supporting a broad mestome-strand. There is a 

 typical endodermis inside the collenchymatic cortex, then follows a 

 thick sheath of stereome bordering on a circular band of collateral 

 mestome-strands. In the periphery of the broad pith are several 

 scattered mestome-strands, varying from simply collateral to lepto- 

 centric, or purely hadromatic. The inflorescence is glandulär hairy, 

 the hairs provided with a long, pluricellular stalk. The leaf has 

 only stomata on the dorsal face, but the chlorenchyma is homoge- 

 neous, and destitute of a palisade-tissue. Theo Holm. 



Holm, T., Medicinal plants of North America. 9 0. Carica 

 Papaya L. (Merck's Report. XXIV. p. 136—140. f. 1-23. June 1915.) 



All parts of the tree, the roots, stem, leaves and fruits contain 

 a latex in which the enzyme papain (papayotin) occurs. The flowers 

 are unisexual, and mostly on diflferent trees; the staminate has an 

 infundibular coralla very different from the pistillate of which the 

 corolla has five valvate petals. The germination is described; the 

 first leaf succeeding the oval cotyledons is ovate, acuminate, but the 

 foUowing four or fine are distinctly three-lobed, and the seventh 

 has the lobes lobate, thus imitating the final shape of the leaf. The 

 anatomy is described, and characteristic of Carica is the presence 

 of articulated laticiferous ducts; furthermore the very soft structure 

 of the stem with parenchyma in abundance, and with deep raj^s of 

 mestome, while the mechanical tissues: collenchyma and stereome 

 are less in evidence. The constant presence of a typical endodermis 

 from the h3'-pocotyl to the stem of the mature tree is, also, of 

 interest. 



Considering these external and internal morphological structures 

 it is evident that Carica cannot be placed under or near the Passi- 



