BOTANY. 11 



the construction of wind-breaks and hedges are mentioned, and the introduction of 

 numerous classes of weeds is commented upon. 



Review of the most useful plants of the family Leguminosae, E. Goeze 

 {Wierier Illiis. (kirt. Ztg., 36 (1901), No. 1, j)p. 15-28). — The leguminous plants culti- 

 vated for human food, forage, or other useful purpose, are catalogued for Europe, 

 America, Asia, Africa, and Australia. 



Notes on the northeastern Carices of the section Hyparrhenae, M. L. 

 Feknald {Ptoc. Amer. Acad. Arts and Sci., 37 {1902), No. 17, pp. 447-495, ph. 5). — 

 A synopsis is given of the species of Carex occurring in the northeastern United 

 States, as indicated in the above title. 



The variations of some boreal Carices, M. L. Fernald {Pror. Amer. Acad. Arts 

 and Sci., 37 {1902), No. 17, pp. 495-510). — Attention is called to the wide variation 

 occurring in some of the species of Carex which frequent the higher latitudes of 

 North America, Europe, and Asia. 



The arrangement of the air canals in the stalks of Nymphseas, M. T. 

 Masters {Jour. Roy. Ilort. Soc. [Londcm], 26 {1902), No. 4, pp- S40-84S, flrjs. 2).~ 

 The author claims that by a study of the transverse sections of the leaf and flower 

 stalks of water lilies it is possible to present a scheme for classification of the dif- 

 ferent species. The air passages in the stems arrange themselves in definite orders, 

 and a key is given for the determination of species based ujion this character. 



Behavior of mutilated seedlings, B. D. Halsted {Ahs. in Science, n. ser., 15 

 {1902), No. 376, pp. 407, 408). — The form of mutilation of seedlings reported upon 

 is that of the removal of the plumule. In radish seedlings the first change noticed 

 was a deeper green of the cotyledons, followed by a remarkable elongation of the 

 petioles. The cotyledons became thicker than in normal plants, due to an increase 

 in size of the cells which were filled with starch. A somewhat similar behavior was 

 noted for the cotyledons of the morning-glory plants, while the hypocotyls became 

 enlarged and served as repositories for a large accumulation of starch. In the Hub- 

 bard squash the cotyledons remained close to the earth and grew to a length of 4 or 

 more inches, and remained green for more than 4 months. In experiments with 

 eggplant the rigid upright cotyledons became quite fleshy and remained alive for 

 several months. With sunflower the hypocotyl elongated until it attained a length 

 of over 9 in., the primitive structure being retained. These experiments show that 

 an organ normally designed to store food for the developing seedling may, in case of 

 an emergency, persist and take on a greatly int-reased size for that purpose. Along 

 with the other changes in the seed leaves, the hypocotyl becomes remarkably 

 thickened and green in the moming-glory, and greatly elongated but slender in the 

 sunflower. 



The embryology and germination of the genus Peperomia, D. S. Johnson 

 {Ahs. in Science, n. ser., 15 {1902) , No. 376, pp. 408, 409). — The ripe seed of this genus 

 is about 0.5 mm. long, with a very small embryo surrounded by an endosperm 0.1 

 mm. in diameter. In germination the endosperm bursts out of the seed coat, but 

 continues as a sort of jacket, 2 cells in thickness, to inclose the embryo until the lat- 

 ter, after reaching a size of 0.15 mm. as a globular mass of cells, at length develops 

 2 cotyledons and a root. The latter bursts through the endosperm and bending 

 downward anchors in the soil. From the beginning of its development to the time 

 when it drops, the endos])erm seems never to serve for the storage of food material, 

 but always as a digesting and absorbing organ for dissolving and passing to the 

 embryo the starch contained in the perisperm. This is said to be the sole function 

 of the endosperm in a number of other genera in which there is an abundant 

 perisperm. 



On kaki-shibu, a fruit juice in technical application in Japan, M. Tsuka- 

 MOTo {Bid. Col. Agr. Imp. Univ. Tokyo, 4 {1902), No. 5, pp. 329-335).— The name 

 kaki-shibu is given in Japan to the juice of the unripe fruit of the Japanese persim- 



