ELEMENT ART NOTES ON STRUCTURAL BOTANi' 2/ 



Elementary Notes on Structural Botani/. Oxford Botanical Me- 

 moirs, No. 4. By A. H. CiiUHCir, M.A. Pp. 1-27. Price 2s. net. 

 Oxford University Press, 1919. 



Tins short "memoir" is a series of schedules intended to cover a 

 course of twelve lectures with accompanying practical work of twelve 

 periods of two hours each. The general treatment follows closely the 

 conventional, lines, and the suggested objects for practical study are 

 mostly those in common use. In reference to the latter, however, 

 we note that the specialized lamina? of Ficus elastica, NynqjJicea, and 

 Laiwndnla are emploj^ed, whilst in the microchemical reactions the 

 us J of 25 °/q HjSO^ with phlorogiucin is advocated in place of hydro- 

 chloric acid. 



Starting with the conception of the cell, the author deals in suc- 

 cession with the growth of the shoot, the leaf, Photos^aithesis, 

 Transpiration, Stem-structure, Root-structure, the Transpiration - 

 stream, and perennating organs. The anatomical details are inter- 

 spersed throughout with occasional notes regarding the physiological 

 functions, a feature which could with advantage have been carried 

 further. The outcome is a series of lessons which follow a logical 

 sequence in a connected whole. The advocacy of micrometer measure- 

 ments by elementary students is a suggestion that might well be 

 ado))ted as calculated to inculcate greater accuracy of observation. 



The only serious omission we have noted is that of light as a 

 controlling factor in the stomatal mechanism. It is also to be 

 regretted that the word proteid is used throughout in place of the 

 more modern protein. 



Whether the practical work involved could be adequately com- 

 passed in the time allotted we have considerable doubts, but teachers 

 in general will find the scheme useful if only for comparison with 

 that which they themselves adopt. 



E. J. S. 



Flora of the Presidency of Madras. By J. S. Gamble. Part III, 

 (pp. 391-575). lO's. net. Adlard & Son. 



This part deals with the Flora from the Leguminosce Ccssalvini- 

 oidece to Caprifoliacece. We have tested various genera and find the 

 work carefully done, though we are not always in agreement with the 

 author in his conclusions. He supplants Foinciana L. by Delonix 

 Rafinesque (PI. Tellur. ii. 92 (1836)). Linmeus (Syst. ed. i. 1735) 

 took JPoinciana from Tournefort who founded it on the plant now 

 referred to Ccesalpinla as C. pulcherrima Sw. : Linnaeus (Cent. ii. 16. 

 (1756) ; Amcen. iv. 318 (1759)) added P. elata. Bentham and 

 Hooker, Dalla Torre, and Harms retain Poinciana for three African 

 and Asiatic species ; we should be inclined to follow this course, and 

 to start the genus from the Centuria or the Amoenitates rather than 

 suppress it altogether. 



The genus Acacia is of peculiar difficulty, especially as to the 

 discrimination and limitation of the species allied to A. Catechu 

 Willd. In his clavis Mr. Gamble states the spines are hooked and 

 short in A. Sannf Buch. Ham., A. Catechu, and A. Sandra DC.,. 



