23 i BOTANICAL GAZETTE. 



Recont Periodicals. — Trimen's Journal, April.— a new 

 variety of Carex pilulijera, L. (var. Lcesii), by H. N. Ridley; 

 The Morphology of the Leaf of Fissidcns, by Richard Spruce; A 

 Revision of the Indian species of Leea, by C. B. Clarke; Notes on 

 Shropshire Plants, by William E. Beckwith; A new Hong-Kong 

 Aiionacea {Mclfldoniin^lauresceiis), by H. F. Hance; New British 

 Lichens {Lccaiwra rhagadi7M., L. albo-littescens, Pertitsaria spiloiiian- 

 ihodcs), by Rev. W. Johnson; Bryological Notes, by W. West. 



American Journal OF Science. May.— Dr. Gray gives some in- 

 teresting notes on the germination of the seedling of Wdwitchia. 

 Mr. F. Orpen Bower has been investigating the structure and devel- 

 opment of the mature embryo and seedling from plants germinating 

 at Kew Gardens. Two interesting facts are mentioned as having 

 been brought to light by Mr. Bower. One is that at the beginning 

 of germination a fleshy outgrowth is produced from the caulicle and 

 remains in the axis of the seed, surrounded by endosperm, even after 

 the liberation of the cotyledons. This Mr. Bower calls "the feeder." 

 from its probable function. Morphologically it is like the "peg" in 

 germinating squashes which has for its function the splitting of the 

 seed coats. 



The other interesting fact is that the two leaves of Welwitchia, so 

 long thought to be cotyledons are not cotyledons at all, but perma- 

 nent foliage leaves. The seedling Welwitchia after unfolding its 

 cotyledons at once produces a two-l^^aved plumule, which decussates 

 with the cotyledons. It is these leaves that remain, while the coty- 

 ledons drop off. 



American Naturalist, May. — Some interesting investigations 

 On the Evaporation of Water from Leaves (Transpiration ) are pub- 

 lished. The work was done in the Bi)tanical Laboratory of Iowa 

 Agricultural College by Miss Ida Twitchell. It is just such work as 

 we would expect to see coming from Prof.^ Bessey's laboratory. The 

 steps are carefully taken and seem to point to the idea that transjn- 

 ration is more a physical than a vital action and not so very much 

 different from ordinary evaporation after all. 



Torrey Bulletin, May — Mr. Chas. Peck describes two new 

 species of Fungi, one under a new genus {Asaviiycete/la qucnimi and 

 Polxporus lactifliiiis), accompanied by a plate. Messrs. Ellis and 

 Hark iiess add four more names to the list of Fungi {Sphaeronema 

 capillare, Sporidesmiiim Rauii. Mytilinidion CaUfornica, Sphaeria 

 consociata). The last two have the honor of growing on the foliage 

 of the "Big Trees" of Cahfornia. Prof. J. C. Arthur gives an ac- 

 count of the Lapham Herbarium, now deposited in the State Univers- 

 ity of Wisconsin at Madison. A sketch of Prof. Alphonso Wood is 

 given with a portrait. 



Nature, April. —Articles on Isoctes laciistn's (April 7) and 

 Chlorophyll (April 14) are referred to elsewhere. 



