BOTANY. ?15 



The mushroom book; a popular guide to the identification and study of 

 our commoner fungi, with special emphasis on the edible varieties, Nina L. 

 Marshali. {Nnv York: Douhh'da;/, Page it Co., 1901, pp. 167). 



Studies on the means of dispersal of seeds, M. Kkonfeld (Shulieyi ilber die Ver- 

 brcitnng.^iiiitteldtr ][ti<inzt'n. LeijiKic, 1900, pji. 4J, Jigs. .5; abs. in Bot. Centbl, 87 {1901), 

 No. 2, pp. 58-61). — Stndii'H are jiiven of Heed distribution l)y wind, especial attention 

 being given Coniposita' and Tyjiba. 



Plants as water carriers, B. D. Hai.stkd {Pop. Sri. Mo., 59 {1901), No. 5, pp. 

 492-496). — The antliur popularly descril)es the transfer of water through plant 

 tissues. 



The transmission of stimuli in plants, B. Nemec {Die Reizleitung und die reizlei- 

 tenden Strukturen hei den Pjiauzen. .Tcna: <}. Fi.^cher, 1901, pp. 153, pis. 3, figs. 10; rev. 

 in Nature, 64 {1901), No. 1659, pp. 871, 372). — The author reviews the previous ideas 

 relative to the transmission of stimuli in plants, and gives an extended account of 

 observatioTis made by himself on this subject. The effects on protoplasm of wounding 

 the sensitive regions of roots and other organs in the main confirm the conclusions of 

 Tangl. The author distinguishes 2 traumatic phases as consequent on such an oper- 

 ation. The first, or primary, response coiisists in an aggregation of the protoplasm, 

 and it may be of the nucleus also, toward the wounded end of the cell. This effect 

 is propagated with diminishing rapidity in a direction away from the wound, and at 

 a different rate in the different tissues composing the wounded organ. Shortly after 

 this primary manifestation has passed over a cell, recovery follows, to give place to 

 a secondary phenomenon. The protoplasm of the cells in the vicinity of the wounds 

 assumes a more or less gelatinous character, and the vacuoles begin to undergo 

 fusion. This secondary effect is apparently local and does not travel as far or as fast 

 as the primary one. 



The author claims to have demonstrated by means of appropriate stains, a con- 

 tinuous fibrillar structure in the cytoplasm. These librillse traverse the cell chiefly 

 in the longitudinal direction, and appear to connect with similar ones in the contig- 

 uous cells of the longitudinal series. They are almost always met with in sensitive 

 and motile organs, to which they also appear almost exclusively confined, and the 

 author believes they represent the means whereby stimuli are rendered trans- 

 missible. 



The respiration of olives and the relation between the respiratory quotient 

 and the formation of oil, C. Gekbek {Jour. Bot. [Par/.s], 15 {1901), Nos. 1, pp. 9-22; 

 3, pp. S8-94; 4, pj>. 121-136). — A study was made of the respiratory quotient of olives 

 in the various stages of growth, as affected by variable influences such as tempera- 

 ture, wounding, etc., a preliminary account of which is given in E. S. R., 13, p. 527. 

 According to the author, the growth of the olive may be divided into 8 periods. The 

 first is from the time of fecundation until the pits become hard. During tliis time 

 the fruits receive mannite from the leaves, storing it as a reserve material, only a 

 small portion being used for the growth of the fruit. During this period theres|)ira- 

 tory quotient was represented by 0.92, the voliuiie of oxygen al)sorbed being in excess 

 of the carl)on dioxid given off. Little or no oil is jiresent in the fruits at this time. 

 The second period begins with the hardening of the i)its and ends when the fruits 

 are changed to a reddish-violet color. Mannite is still received from the leaves, but 

 the reserve and newly elal)orated material is rapidly transformed into oil. The 

 gaseous exchange between the fruits and the atmosphere is influenced by this trans- 

 formation and the respiratory (quotient becomes as high as 1.40. The third period 

 begins with the change of the fruit to a violet color, ending when it is fully ripe and 

 falls from the tree. Mannite is still transported from the leaves to the fruits in 

 small quantity, but is ultimately all transformed into oil. The respiratory quotient 

 falls from the maximum attained in the previous period until an equilibrium is estab- 



