Journal of Applied Microscopy. 



216 



Current Botanical Literature. 



Charles J. Chamberlain. 



Books for review and separates of papers on bo- 

 tanical subjects should be sent to C. J. Chamber- 

 lain, University of Chicago, Chicago, III. 



REVIEWS. 



Elmore, O. J. Some results from the study of 

 Allium. Bot. Gaz. 26 : 277-278, 1898. 



The reported polyembryony of Allium 

 tricoccum, resulting from the develop- 

 ment of embryos from antipodal cells, 

 sug-gested the investigation of this and 

 other species of the genus. Mr. Elmore's 

 conclusions, which are supported by very 

 strong evidence, indicate that in Allium 

 tricocccum, polyembryony, if it occurs 

 at all, is very rare. In seventy-five 

 embryosacs at the fertilization period 

 only sixteen contained antipodals which 

 could be recognized, and even these 

 appeared shriveled and dead. Twenty- 

 six embryos were examined, all of which 

 had t eveloped in the normal manner 

 from the egg cell. 



A. eernuum gave about the same 

 results. Out of ninety-five embryosacs 

 at the fertilization period only twenty- 

 nine showed antipodals, and these were 

 small and apparently about to disappear. 

 All the embryos examined in this species 

 were normal in number and position. 



In A. canadense nearly every prepara- 

 tion showed that the nucellus had died 

 long before fertilization was possible, and 

 later in the season it was found that only 

 six embryos had developed from an 

 half-acre patch where there had been 

 thousands of blossoms. 



These results show that the develop- 

 ment of embryos from antipodal cells in 

 these species is hardly to be expected 

 unless it occurs in rare individual cases 

 as a monstrosity. C. J. C. 



Kitter, C. Haertuug von Blut, Sputum, etc., auf 

 Objecttraegern. Zeitschrift f. wiss Mik. 15 : 

 159-161, 1898. 



Dr. Ritter believes that in making per- 

 manent mounts of blood, serum, sputum, 

 etc., and also of Bacteria, it is better to 

 conduct the operations upon the slide 

 than upon the cover glass, since the slide 

 is less sensitive and is more easily 

 handled. The slides, smeared with the 

 material, are placed on a dish and for- 

 malin or osmic acid is poured on the 

 bottom of the dish, which is then covered. 

 Since the killing and hardening are 

 accomplished by the fumes, the slides 

 should be propped up so as not to touch 

 the liquid. After the hardening, the 

 staining may be done, either with or 

 without a previous washing in water. 



C. J. C. 



Nawascliin, S. Ueber das Verhalten des Pollen- 

 schlauches bei der Ulme. Bull d. 1' Acad. 

 Imper. d. Sci. St. Petersburg, 8 : 345, 1898. 



Morphologists have been interested in 

 the subject of chalazogamy since Treub's 



work upon Casuarina. Miss Benson 

 reported this condition for Alnus, Cory- 

 ius, Betula, and Carpinus. Nawaschin 

 found that in Juglans regia the pollen 

 tube grows through the tissue of the 

 ovule instead of passing through the 

 micropyle, but the case was not one of 

 true chalazogamy. In the present paper 

 Nawaschin reports that in Ulmus pedun- 

 culata and U. montana the pollen tube 

 may take almost any direction leading in 

 general toward the egg. It may pass 

 through the integuments to the micro- 

 pyle, then behave in the usual way, or 

 may pass through the chalaza as in a 

 true chalazogam. Since no conductive 

 tissue is developed and since the tube is 

 so indefinite in its course, passing occa- 

 sionally by the chalazal region, Nawas- 

 chin regards the Elms as some of the 

 transition forms between chalazogams 

 and porogams. 



Otis W. Caldwell. 

 Chicago. 



Zinger, N. Beitraege zur Kentniss der weiblichen 

 Bluethen and Inflorescenzen bei Cannabineen. 

 Flora, 85 : 189-253, 1898. 



The writer finds that in the ovules of 

 the Cannabineae the micropyle becomes 

 closed by extended growth of the inner 

 integument. The pollen tube grows 

 through the two integuments, then down 

 to the nucellus. Here several branches 

 are formed, and finally one small branch 

 penetrates to the embryosac. 



Otis W. Caldwell. 

 Chicago. 



Riddle, Lamina C. The embryology of Alyssum. 

 Bot. Gaz. 26 : 314-324, 1898. 



For many years text-book makers have 

 used Hanstein's excellent figures and 

 description of Capsella to illustrate the 

 embryology of Dictotyls, but while the 

 source has been the same, the text-book 

 accounts have been various and confus- 

 ing. It is probable that Hanstein's work 

 was weak in a few details on account of 

 the inferior methods which were in vogue 

 when the article was written. Miss 

 Riddle's description of Alyssum, a Cruci- 

 fer closely related to Capsella, gives Eng- 

 lish reading students a careful and some- 

 what complete account of the embryology 

 of a typical Dictoyl. A part of her sum- 

 mary is about as follows: The first divi- 

 sion of the proembryo is transverse and 

 the basal suspensor cell never divides 

 afterward. The other cell divides into an 

 intermediate cell, which contributes to 

 both suspensor and embryo, and a termi- 

 nal embryo cell. Octants are formed in 

 both the terminal embryo cell and basal 

 embryo cell. Periblem and plerome arise 

 in the basal hemisphere of the terminal 

 embryo cell; the cotyledons and stem tip 

 from the terminal hemisphere. The 

 calyptrogen and ront-oap are formed 



