76 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



embryo is postponed until better material is available. The suggestion 

 of both Bower and Scott that Fsilotum and Tmesipteris find their 

 affinity among the ancient Sphenophyllales is strengthened by the facts 

 in the present paper. A. G. 



Pteridophyta of Indo-China. — Prince N. Bonaparte {Notes Pteri- 

 dologiqueSj Paris, 1919, Fasc. 8, 197 pp.). The present fascicle contains 

 the first part of a monograph of the ferns of Indo-China, i.e. Siam, 

 Lagos, Tonkin, Cambodia, Annam and Cochin-China, and comprises the 

 first four families — Hyraenophyllaceae, Gleicheniacese, Schizaeaceae, 

 Cyatheaceai. Descriptions, sometimes original, are given for each 

 family, genus and species ; and keys are provided. The synonyms and 

 illustrations of the species are given, and their geographical distribution, 

 and critical remarks where necessary. A. G. 



Bryophyta. 



Ramification of Mosses : A Morphological Study. — K. Kavina 

 (Hedwigia, 1915, 56, 308-32 ; see also Bot. Centralbl., 1918, 137, 

 75-6). The mode of branching in mosses is monopodial, in Sphagna 

 dichotomous, and in liverworts more often dichotomous than monopodiaL 

 These three groups form three independent parallel types, which probably 

 have nothing but their origin in common. The following details are of 

 special interest : — A pushing up of the subtending leaf on to the 

 daughter-axis in Calliergon cuspidatimi and Antitrichia curtipendnla. 

 Regular axillary branching is the most usual, in which the branch stands 

 exactly in the median line of the leaf-axil (e.g. Eurhymhium muraUy 

 species of Fhilonoiis, Hylocomium loreum). In Mnium no sort of 

 branch sheath is present. It is represented only by the knob-like 

 swelling of the basal part of the axillary branch. Sometimes it is found 

 that the lateral shoot does not appear to be so exactly lateral as it should 

 be, but stands high above the axis of the subtending leaf, either pre- 

 cisely in the median line or to the right or left of it ; in both cases 

 apparently breaking the general rule of monopodial branching. The 

 explanation is that in the first case the lateral shoot grows together with 

 the main axis for a certain distance, or there occurs a displacement of 

 the lateral shoot high above the leaf-axil {Rhytidiadelphus triguetrus^ 

 Callisryon stramineum ; in the second case a torsion of the main stem 

 takes place {Hedivigia, Climaciiim), or plagiotropism has been the influ- 

 ence {Eurhynchium sp. LesJcea sp. Neckera sp.) Adventive shoots have 

 no orientation to the leaves. The subject of orientation is discussed : 

 dorsiventral, opposite, and transverse. But it is so variable that it is 

 impossible to set up any types. The " first leaves " are, according to 

 the author, of a trichome-like nature ; only in Mnium divided normal 

 leaves occur in the form of bristles. The small scale-like or bristle - 

 like leaves occurring between the normal leaves in the middle of the 

 lateral shoots or on the adjacent stems in Mnium, Hypnum, Climacium, 

 Scleropodium, etc., are trichomes, and only requisite for their biological 

 function — namely, the enveloping of the young vegetative growing point. 



E. S. Gepp. 



