.38 BOTANICAL GAZETTE. 



Gazette, and let these gentlemen cull out what seems suitable for 

 publication. This is given as a suggestion and from an earnest desire 

 to reach in some way the good work that is being done and to turn 

 into useful channels energies that are being wasted. We mention 

 these two publications only, because they are the only ones entirely 

 devoted to the interests of botanists. Other journals could be men- 

 tioned, but such notes as we speak of would not seem so fitting in 

 them as more elaborate papers. There is good work enough to re- 

 cord to keep the Torrey Bulletin and the Gazette both busy in sim- 

 ply selecting the most important facts, and we hope that soon their 

 pages will have to be increased in number to hold the notes which 

 will come in on them like a flood. 



Germination and Growth of Parasitic plants. — Much interest 

 has been manifested recently in regard to the germination ot that class 

 of plants which have heretofore been regarded as parasitics, and ad- 

 vocates are still found of both theories, — that they may germinate 

 without attachment to a mother plant, and, that it is requisite for 

 germination. Lindleysays: "According to the observation of Vau 

 cher of Geneva, the seeds of Oivbanchc ramosa will lie many years 

 inert in the soil unless they come in contact with the roots of Hemp,- 

 the plant upon which that species grows parasitically, when they im- 

 mediately sprout. Schl'auter states that they only seize seedlings, and 

 are unable to attach roots of stronger growths." In the summer of 

 1878, I collected in abundance near Haddonfield, New Jersey, Oro- 

 banchc minor, (see Botanical Gazette, Vol. 3, No. 9, September. 

 1878,) and as many of the specimens had ripe seeds I scattered 'hem 

 with a liberal hand over the grass plot and flower beds in the vard at 

 tached to my residence, hoping thereby for an opportunity to watch 

 their development and growth ; but as not a single specimen made 

 its appearance during the following year, I had almost concluded my 

 e.xperiment a failure. A few days ago on going into my conservatory 

 I was surprised to find I was there harboring three specimens, grow- 

 ing in the flower pots with Geraniums. These Geraniums had been 

 transplanted from the conservatory to the yard in the summer of 1878 

 and hence were growing in the flower beds when the seeds of the Or- 

 obanche were scattered. In the fall of the same year they were re- 

 transplanted to the conservatory ; the same process was repeated in 

 the year 1S79. ^^^ ^^ the three specimens has been removed from 

 the i)lace of growth, and I have been unable to find an attachment to 

 the roots of the Geraniums in any way, to either the main root or any 

 of the smaller young fibrous roots, hence I am led to believe this 

 plant at least has had an independent existence ; the bulbous or en- 

 larged base is much the same as that of the original specimens collect- 

 ed, but there are more fibrous roots attached, and they are more cen- 

 trally fixed underneath, as may be seen in the growth of the common 

 onion; the specimens heretofore examined had more of a side devel- 

 opment, as though the attachment to the root of the parent plant had 

 absorbed somewhat of the substance or caused an unequal growth. 



