jo BOTANICAL GAZETTE. 



Disposition of Tendrils in the Bud.— in observing a num- 

 ber of cucurbits growing in my garden last season. I noticed that the 

 tendrils were variously arranged previous to their full expansion. 

 There were three positions, and not far from the same num- 

 ber of species belonging to each sort, with possibly some 

 preponderance in favor of the straight ones. They were 

 either (i) unfolded or straight; (2) rolled from the apex 

 downward upon the unper face, i e., circinate ; or (3) rolled 

 backward from the apex, and the whole coil bent forward 

 upon the upper face so as to make a loop or handle project- 

 ing beyond the coil. This last kind might well be called 

 ansulate. The straight tendrils were found in balsam-apple, 

 gherkin, teasel and gooseberry cucumbers and the dish rag plant. 

 They were at first necessarily very short, but in the climbing species 

 soon exceeded the main axis from which they arose. The circinate 

 ones were seen in the squash, pumpkin, wild cucumber (Echinocystis) 

 and star-cucumber; and the ansulate in muskmelon, common cu- 

 cumber, and Mukia scabrclla. Some species of the genus Cucumis 

 have straight and some ansulate tendrils, but the species of the other 

 genera are uniform, so far as observed. — J. C. Arthur. 



Autumn Color of the Bartram Oak.— It may be of interest 



to note that the autumn leaves of Quants heterophylla color like the 

 scarlet Q. coccinea. The early leaves of the season are more or less 

 entire, but when the plants are growing freely, and make a secondary 

 growth, as vigorous oaks often do, the later leaves much resemble 

 Quercus coccinea. Indeed, when mixed it is difficult to separate them. 

 I think with Martindale it is a good species, and that its relationship 

 is with the Scarlet and Black oak. — Thomas Meehan. 



The Compound Crystals of Begonia.— A few weeks ago the 



students n the botanical laboratory of Wabash College were investi- 

 gating plant crystals. One member of the class was working with 

 the petiole of one of the large leaved Begonias and examining its 

 well known compound crystals. Upon using his reagents to deter- 

 mine their chemical nature, he found his weaker acids slow to pro- 

 duce any effect, and determined, at any rate, to destroy the crystals, 

 drew under the cover glass some undiluted sulphuric acid. Of course 

 the crystals at once responded and began to dissolve rapidly, but the 

 investigator's attention was at once attracted by the fact that the 

 compound crystals had become bundles of raphides. Upon calling 

 my attention to the fact I directed other members of the class to re- 

 peat the experiment, and in every case the compound crystals wasted 

 away to bundles of raphides, lying in the direction of the longer axes 

 of the crystals. 



In this connection might be mentioned the fact that the same 

 class found a better display of cystoliths in the stems of the common 

 Pilea pumila than in any other plant studied. The cystoliths were 

 very large, lying of course parallel with the fibers of the stem, and 



