98 THE PLANT WORLD. 



from the Bahamas as grape fruit is usually round, with a polished 

 yellow skin of a silky texture and very heavy. This is probahly 

 one of the best of its class and quite equal to the pear-shaped 

 variety. Xext comes some excellent fruit from Jamaica, no doubt 

 that already referred to under the name of Forbidden Fruit." 



Germination of Orchid Seeds. — When the seeds of orchids 

 are sown, especially those of the Caftlcyia or the Loclia. it is 

 found that the germination, which is quite irregular, is accom- 

 panied with the presence at the extremity of the plantule of a clus- 

 ter of filaments due to an endophyte fungus. Recent experiments 

 of the French scientist, M. Noel Bernard, have shown that the 

 presence of this fungus is indispensable to the germination of the 

 orchid seed. If the seeds are asepticized, they will not germinate; 

 but if they are put in a pure culture of the fungus, the mycelial 

 filaments of the latter penetrate the embryo ; then the germination 

 commences, and is pursued regularly. This observation shows a 

 distinct case of normal parasitism, in which an organism cannot 

 be developed without the penetration of a parasite. — Scientific 

 A nicy icon. 



At a recent meeting of the Torrey Botanical Club Mr. George 

 V. Nash told some interesting facts on the botanical features of 

 orchids. There seems to be a general misconception among many 

 as to just what an orchid is. The uniting in one organ, called 

 the column, of the stamens and pistils serves to distinguish this 

 family. Most orchids have thickened stems. In some the stem 

 is very short and much enlarged. Such stems are known as 

 pscudohulhs. Oncidiiiin and Odontoglossiiin are examples of this 

 sort. In others the entire stem is thickened, as in Catflcya and 

 Dcndrohiuui. Some orchids have a lateral, others a terminal, 

 form of inflorescence, the former arising from the base of the 

 pseudobulb, the latter from its apex. The majority of the orchids, 

 represented by the genera Epidoidron, Oncidiuni, Odonioglossum, 

 MasdevaUia, and others, have a limited manner of growth ; genera 

 such as J^anilla and Angraccnni have an unlimited growth, in 

 which the axis ascends continuously. 



The orchid family embraces some 6,000 or 7,000 species, mostly 



