THE GEOOEAPHV OF PLVXTS 181 



that lie has unrlertalcen ; and the result is that the hook is clifficnll to 

 read, in view of its consecinently cramped style. We cannot refrain 

 from expressing i-egret that he has not confined himself to the purely 

 descriptive side of the suhject, referring to his earlier volume for 

 general considerations of soil, climate, etc. Nevertheless the book 

 will form a valual)le addition to the library of any student familiar 

 with the general ]>rinoiples of plant geography, though it can scarcely 

 be recommended to a beginner. 



H. F. Werxiiam. 



Elenienfari/ Xofra on flip Morpholor/}/ ofFunqi. Bv A. H. Chuecit. 

 Botan'icil Memoirs, No. 7, 1920.' Pp. 29. Price 2s. Oxford 

 University Pi-ess. 



One of the outstanding features of recent botanical literature is 

 the sudden outburst of publication on the part of the author of 

 this memoir. Previously, one had associated him mainly with the 

 backwaters of Phyllotaxy — now it is with the theor}^ of subaerial 

 transmigration and its slogan " The beginnings of Botany are in the 

 sea." 



The lecture notes under review are arranged as follows : — (1) Algae 

 (Introduction); (2) Fungi (Introduction), Heterotrophy; (3) Soma-, 

 tic and reproductive organization ; (4) Bacteria ; (5) Phycomycetes ; 

 (6, 7) Ascomycetes ; (8, 9) Basidiomycetes ; (10, 11) Uredineae and 

 Ustilagineie ; (12) Lichens; (13) Koot-tubercles and M3'corhiza. 

 Each lecture occupies two full pages. The matter is put forward in 

 note form, but nevertheless makes stimulating reading. The usual 

 "types" are given, but with far more information than is customary 

 in text-books. A few statements are a little out of date — and 

 *' fungology " and " yFcidiomycetes " are objectionable. 



The author's contention is that the fungi consist of large and 

 isolated groups with no direct relation to one another or to any 

 modern algal forms : they are saprophytic and transmigrant deriva- 

 tives of marine algte. It is always a good thing in elementary 

 lectures to give students a clear lead. There is no ambiguity in 

 Mr. Church's case, and a reasonable hypothesis is interwoven with the 

 facts concerning the more commonly studied fungi. Morchella is 

 regarded by the author as a typical " primitive " Ascomycete. It 

 may be the " mere speculation " m,entioned in the text, but it does 

 seem that genera such as Eremascus more nearl}^ approach ancestral 

 forms : minuteness has nothing whatever to do with the matter fi'oni 

 this point of view. There are whole series of fungi with diiferentiated 

 sexual organs, more or less globose asci, and ilbdelined peridia ; these 

 aj^pear to make distinct ascending series from forms like JEremascus^ 

 where there is furthermore an absence of ascogenous hyphse. The 

 author's remarks on Lichens are also open to argument, but the 

 striking fact in this short, well-printed, and cheap pamphlet is that 

 there is so much that stimulates discussion. 



J. Ramsbottom, 



