518 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



groups, one of which had both cotyledons removed, another had one 

 removed, while the third lot developed in the normal way. The autnor 

 describes the effect of this treatment on the growth and the morpho- 

 logical characters of the different plants. The mutilation of cotyledons 

 was found to retard the growth, reduce the number of leaves as well as 

 the number and size of the leaflets, and greatly modify the general habit 

 of growth of the plants. In the case of those in which both cotyledons 

 were removed the plant developed in the form of an inverted cone, 

 while the normal plant has a tendency to a more cylindrical shape. 

 The normal plant has usually 7, rarely 5 or 6, leaflets, while with those 

 plants which had both cotyledons removed, 5, and sometimes 4, leaflets 

 was the rule. The author states that this experiment will have an 

 important bearing in showing the possible influence of the mutilation 

 of seeds by weevil, etc. 



The physiological function of iron in plants, J. Stoklasa (Compt. 

 Bend. Acad. Sci. Paris, 127 (1898), No. 5, pp. 282, 283). — The author 

 states that it having been shown by Gautier and Molisch that iron is 

 not found in chlorophyll, and that his own experiments show it does 

 not exist in the chlorolecithin, he has been led to investigate the possi- 

 ble relation of iron with the cell nucleus. From onion bulbs he has 

 succeeded in isolating a substance that in chemical composition almost 

 exactly agrees with the hematogen which Buuge has extracted from 

 the yolk of eggs. The author has compared the various properties of 

 the two substances and finds them practically identical. He states 

 that chemical and microscopical observations show that a great part 

 of the iron in plants is localized in the embryo or endosperm, and dur- 

 ing germination it is employed by the plant in forming nuclei of the 

 cells of the growing tissues. The effect of depriving young plants of 

 iron can be readily shown with cultures of maize, in which the plant 

 quickly perishes if from the nutritive solution iron be omitted. It is 

 stated that it is impossible to extract hematogen from starved plants. 

 Plants without chlorophyll are said to act in the same way, as shown 

 in the case of Mucor mucedo, and hematogen has been isolated from 

 the common Boletus edulis. The author concludes from his investiga- 

 tions that iron as well as phosphorus plays an important role in the 

 formation of the cell nucleus. 



A revision of the genera Chloris and Eustachys in North America, G. V. 

 Nash (Bui. Torrey Bot. Club, 25(1898), No. 8, pp. 432-450).— According to the author, 

 as revised, the species of Chloris known to North America are 10 and those of 

 Eustachys 4. 



New species of Alabama fungi, C. H. Peck (Bui. Torrey Bot. Club, 25 (1898), No. 

 7, pp. 368-372). — As a contribution from the Alabama Biological Survey, the author 

 describes 10 species of fleshy fungi. 



American grasses, I, F. Lamson-Scribner ( U. S. Dept. Ayr., Division of Agrostol- 

 ogy Bui. 7, pp. 331,fiys. 302). — A revised edition of this bulletin (E. S. R., 9, p. 327). 



New plants from Wyoming, A. Nelson (Bui. Torrey Bot. Club, 25(1898), No. 7, 

 pp. 373-381). — This is the third contribution of the author descriptive of note- 

 worthy species of plants in Wyoming, and contains descriptions and notes of 14 

 new species. 



