292 Physiologie. 



The crop plants upon which the researches of the writers were 

 made, are: Panicum müiacuni, Chaetochloa italica, Andropogon 

 Sorghum, Zea mays, Euchlaena mexicana, Triticum aestivuni, T. 

 durum, T. dicoccum, Hordeum distichon, H. vulgare, Fagopyrutn 

 fagopyrutn, Avena sativa, Seeale cereale, Orysa sativa, Linum usita- 

 tissimum , Beta vulgaris, Solanum tuberosum, Brassica oleracea ca- 

 pitata, B. rapa, B. napus, Gossypium hirsutum, Citrullus vulgaris. 

 Cucumis melo, C. sativa, Cucurbita maxima, C. pepo, Vis^na sinensis, 

 Cicer arietinum , Phaseolus imlgaris, Glycine hispida, G. soja, Meli- 

 lotus alba, Pisum sativum, Vicia villosa, V.faba, V. atropurpurea, 

 Trifolium repens, T. incarnatuni, Medicago sativa, M. falcata, Agro- 

 pyron cristatum, Brojuus inermis and besides these a number of 

 native plants. M. J. Sirks (Haarlem). 



Chibbep, H. M., Studies in the germination ofthree in- 

 dian plants. (Ann. Jard. bot. Buitenzorg 2ieme Serie. XIV. p. 

 52—56. 1915.) 



The author describes the process of germination of these three 

 species: Barringto)iia acutangula Gaertn., Trapa bispinosa L , and 

 Crinum spp. Interesting are the following remarks regarding seed 

 structure and germination in Trapa and Crinum: The germination 

 of Trapa has such a close resemblance to the same process in 

 Crinum that it may be regarded as a case of convergence of a 

 dicotj'l to the monocotyl-type. A process analogous to that of Cri- 

 num has been observed in a number of other monocotyls, e. g. 

 sedges and rushes, irises, snowdrops, narcisses, aloes, butcher's 

 broom, bananas, palms, which all at any rate begin life in marshy 

 surroundings. Structurally two seeds could not differ more than 

 these two do. The one has two cotyledons, the other one only. The 

 one is exalbuminous, the other has a copious quantity of albumen. 

 Again, the pericarps of the two differ: Trapa does not liberate its 

 seed; in Crinum we get a capsule, which ruptures. Yet in the pro- 

 cess of germination all these differences are got over. The testa in 

 Crinum is as impervious to water as the endocarp is in Trapn. The 

 albumen in Crinum gives up its störe of nutriants to the embryo, 

 just as well as the fleshy cotyledon does in Trapa. Though Trapa 

 has two cotyledons only one is functional and the other is reduced 

 to a vestige, of only morphological value, without any functional 

 importance. M. J. Sirks (Haarlem). 



Garner, W. W.^ H. A. Allard and C. L, Foubert. Oil con- 

 tent of seeds as affected by the plant. (Journ. agr. Res. 

 Washington. III. p. 227—249. 1914.) 



The summary of results, given by the writers, runs as follows: 

 Experiments with soy beans have shown that, except for the 

 period immediately following blooming and that directly preceding 

 final maturity, there is a fairly uniform increase in oil content, both 

 relative and absolute, througbout the development of the seed, and 

 no evidence was found that there is a critical period of very intense 

 oil formation at any stage of seed development. Tests with cotton 

 likewise indicate that the increase in oil proceeds somewhat more 

 rapidly than the increase in the weight of the seed. 



As a consequence of the physiological relationship of oil to 

 carbohydrate, it appears that maximum oil production in the plant 

 requires conditions of nutrition favorable to the accumulation of 



