No. 1, August, 1921] MORPHOLOGY, ETC., VASC. PLANTS 51 



337. CiiuncH, A. II. On the interpretation of phenomena of phyllotaxis. Bet. Mem. 

 [Oxford] 6. 68 p. 1920. — Fibonacci phyllotaxis, as a phase of plant symmetry, is reduced 

 to a condition of centric, axial growth-extension, combined with the outthrust in 

 rythmic sequence of somatic protrusions in the transverse plane. To maintain the older 

 inherent centric organization, the Fibonacci angle, 137° 30' 2S", must be approximated every 

 time, though the range of error may be considerable in the individual units. Actual measure- 

 ments show that the general plan keeps very fairly adjusted in such divergent types as 

 Quinqueloculina, Cystoseira, Polytrichum, and Sempervivum. Taking the general progression 

 of Fibonacci phyllotaxis as the expression of an archaic method of initiating one lateral ex- 

 tension of the soma at a time, from a growth center or a differentiated growing point, the more 

 fundamental and primary relations of living plasma, established once and for all, even in the 

 plankton-phase, may remain predominant throughout all future phases of progression. 

 All primary problems of stem and root, leaf and branch, members and tissues, cells and space- 

 form, are to be sought far behind the comparatively modern and wholly secondary subaerial 

 environment in which we find ourselves in the more familiar vegetation of the land. — F. V. 

 Rand. 



338. Merriman, Mabel L. The receptacle of Achillea millefolium L. Torreya 21 : 

 21-24. Fig. 1-5. 1921. — The receptacle of Achillea is usually described as flat or convex, 

 but specimens from the vicinity of New York City examined in October, 1919, showed a conical 

 or oblong head. Further study in 1920 showed that while heads with flat receptacles bore 

 an average of 12 flowers per head, the conical heads had from 23 to 27. The projection of the 

 tubular beyond the ray-flowers, which is less than 1 mm. in the flat heads, was as much as 

 11 mm. in the conical forms. In some cases ray-flowers were interspersed with the tubular 

 flowers on the elongated receptacle. Further experiments are suggested to determine whether 

 in these elongated receptacles we have mutating characters or reversions. It is suggested 

 that soil-content and seasonal conditions may have some influence. — /. C. Nelson. 



339. Pratag, S. H. Some observations on the inflorescence and flowers of the grape. 

 Agric. Jour. India 16: 60-64. PL 8-9. 1921. 



340. St. John, Harold. A freak sweet clover. Rhodora 23: 25-26. 1921. — A description 

 of a teratological specimen of Ulelilotus alba from Goldendale, Washington, characterized 

 by an inflorescence with branching pedicels, which thus formed a panicle instead of the usual 

 simple spike. In addition the pistil was foliaceous with 2 or 3 ovules borne on each of the 

 slightly adnate edges. — James P. Poole. 



341. VuiLLEMiN, Paul. Les aberrations de la symetrie florale. [Various types of floral 

 symmetry.] Compt. Rend. Acad. Sci. Paris 172: 35-39. 1921. — The author distinguishes 

 3 main types of floral form: Asymmetric, spiromorphic, and symmetric. The last named may 

 be either actinomorphic or zygomorphic. Actinomorphosis refers to the substitution of the 

 actinomorphic for the zygomorphic or the asymmetric; and zygomorphosis to the substitution 

 of the zygomorphic for the actinomorphic or the asymmetric. Actinomorphosis is equivalent 

 to some of the cases which have been called peloric, but not to all. The condition of zj^gomor- 

 phosis has not in the past been much studied. These types may vary in the plane of symmetry 

 and in the configuration, position, or number of the floral parts. They may be exogenous or 

 endogenous, the latter presenting either sjmanthj^ or paranthy. The paper includes a de- 

 scription of these types as they are found in Tropaeolum majus. — C. H. Farr. 



342. Weatherwax, Paul. Position of scutellum and homology of coleoptile in maize. 

 Bot. Gaz. 69: 179-182. 11 fig. 1920. — The evidences derived from the structure and develop- 

 ment of the maize embryo, including that of the ligule-less mutant, favor the idea that the 

 coleoptile is the homologue of a foliage leaf, and that the cotyledon is a lateral organ. — Paul 

 Weathencax. 



