THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 51 



drying, the fibre-saturation point is passed, the strength of 

 wood increases as drying progresses, in accordance with a 

 definite law and this law can be used to calculate from the 

 strength of a stick at one degree of moisture what its strength 

 will be at any other degree. — Forest Leaves. 



A Violet Lacking Petioles.; — Last May I found a 

 group of scattered clusters of unusual violets, growing near 

 the downy violet (Viola pubescens), which they closely re- 

 semble, the leaves, only, differing. To me, a violet leaf with- 

 out a petiole is unique. The downy violet sports a well de- 

 veloped petiole and the freak lacks it. The blade of the freak 

 leaf is narrower than that of the downy. Apparently the pe- 

 tiole has vanished and the stipules are leaving. Traces of the 

 latter are found at the base of the blade, where they are mostly 

 grown fast. The color is paler, the texture thinner, the margin 

 more finely cut and, sometimes, the tip of the deserting stipule 

 remains. The midrib has a kink near its base and the leaves 

 either turn up or down on the stem. One feels like calling it a 

 degenerating downy violet. — N. McMwray. [All such strange 

 freaks are worth recording and cultivating. Often sowing the 

 seeds from such plants will bring more of the same form. We 

 trust that our correspondent will keep this plant under notice 

 and find time to experiment with it. — Ed.] 



White Partridge Berries. — There is one thing that 

 may be presaged of all species of plants bearing red fruits : if 

 we search long enough, we are reasonably certain of finding 

 white anid yellow forms. The yellow fonns are due to a dimin- 

 ution of the anthocyan that gives the red color; in fact, even 

 black fruits are often caused by an over load of this substance. 

 It will thus be seen that there is an easy transition from black 

 fruits to red ones as in the choke-berry (Pyrits) or from red 

 fruits to yellow ones as frequently occur in the holly and moun-^ 

 tain ash. White berried forms are albinos such as may also be 



