BOTANY. 



107 



the acciiinulation of the sohible oxalate. Since part of the carbon 

 assiniihited by the plant never enters into the starch condition the 

 reason is evident why the growth of shoots or seedlings is not at once 

 checked when deprived of calcium. 



Copper as a constituent of vegetables, V. Yedrodi {Chem. Ztg., 

 20 {180(i), Xo. 10, pp. 399, 100).—T\\Q, author refers to his previous 

 experiments ', and compares the method of analyses with those of Leh- 

 mann^ for the same purpose. lie thinks the latter s method inferior to 

 his own and especially liable to error. Numerous analyses were 

 repeated an.d the results are tabulated. Analyses were made of vari- 

 ous crops in 1S94: and 1805, and the results in percentage of copper 

 oxid are tabulated. The amount of metallic copper in the same seed 

 was calculated in milligrams per kilogram of seed and the following 

 result obtained : 



Amount of melaUic copper in 1 Ig. of seed. 



Mini- Maxi- 

 mnm. mum. 



Winter -n-hcat 

 Spring wheat . 



Corn 



Barley 



Oats 



Buckwheat. .. 



Beans 



Flax 



Peas 



So.ja beans 



Lupines 



Hemp 



Pepper pods . , 



Mg. 



80 



190 



60 



80 



40 



160 



160 



120 



60 



70 



80 



70 



790 



Mg. 

 710 

 630 

 90 

 120 

 190 

 640 

 320 

 150 

 100 

 100 

 190 

 130 



1,350 



Mini- Maxi- 

 mum, mum. 



210. 



200 



190 



10 



10 



40 



150 



110 



110 



60 



70 



70 



60 



230 



Mff. 



230 



30 



70 



200 



160 



150 



150 



110 



80 



290 



70 



400 



The f )rm in which the copper gets into the plant and its poisonous 

 properties are not known, but the author is disj)0sed to think that the 

 small quantity present will have no injurious effect upon the human or 

 animal system. 



Preliminary revision of the North American species of Echinocactus, Cereus, 

 and Opuntia, J. M. Coulter ( U. S. Dept. Agr., Division of Botany, Contrihutions from 

 the U. S. Xaiional Herharium, vol. 3, No. 7,X)p. IV, 353-462). —The author has here com- 

 pleted the iireliminary revision of the North American species of Cactacere, the first 

 part having appeared in 1894 as Contributions from the United States National 

 Herbarium, vol. 3, No. 2 (E. S. R., G, p. 190). In the present report there are described 

 52 species of Echinocactus, 82 of Cereus, and 101 of Opuntia. Of this number many 

 are described as new by the author and many others are published for the lirst time 

 from the nmnuscript of Dr. Engelmann. Notes are also given as to the geographical 

 di3tribution of the species. 



On the genus Calamagrostis, E. ToRGEO (Mitt. Thnring. hot. Ver., 8 {1895), pp. 

 1.3-15 ; ahs. in Bot. Cenihl, C? {1S9G), No. 3, p. 5.?).— The author describes several new 

 varieties and hybrids of this genus of grasses. 



iChem. Ztg., 17 (1893), p. 1932. 

 2 Arch. Hyg., 24, p. 3. 



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