A TEXT-BOOK OF MYCOLOGY AXD PLANT PATHOLOGY 219 



thus recognizing the great work done on the cytology of fungi. The 

 author is somewhat inclined to be dogmatic on subjects concerning 

 which there is as \'et no general agi'eement : in the Ascomycetes he 

 accepts unconditionally a single nuclear fusion in fertilization and 

 brushes aside any other theory ; in lichens he asserts that : — " Danilov, 

 Elenkin, Peirce, and Fink show that the dual hypothesis or that of 

 mutualistic symbiosis is untenable," which also is open to question. 



The chapters devoted to plant pathology deal in the fii'st place 

 with general matters such as etiology, prophyllaxis, abnormalities — - 

 with which is included a glossary of teratological terms, — galls, &c. 

 Specitic plant diseases are listed under an alphabetical arrangement 

 ot the hosts attacked, with references to standard literature. No 

 book on fungi can claim to be really up to date, and we do not find 

 the bacterial disease of Citrus, so frequently mentioned in recent 

 American literature. More generous descriptions of the disea>es 

 might have been desired, but the writer has discounted such criticism 

 by declaring that his aim has been " to be directive and helpful rather 

 than to produce a work of encyclopedic value." 



The book is copiously illustrated ; although prepared primarily for 

 American students, more especially as regards plant-diseases, it will, 

 we are sure, be welcomed and appreciated by mycologists of all 

 countries. 



A. L. S. 



Flo7'a of the Presidency of Madras. By J. S. Gamble, C.I.E., etc. 

 Part II. Celastraceaj to Leguminosaj-Papilionatse. Svo, pp. 20l- 

 390. 8s. London : Adlaitl, 1918. 



Mr. Gamble, as might be expected, has given us a careful and 

 accurate account of the plants which fall within the compass of this 

 instalment of his work. The plan of the Flora is somewhat novel. 

 Good and rather full descriptions are given of the genera, followed by 

 a clavis of the species occurring within the Presidency ; the species 

 are enumerated without further description, but with their geo- 

 graphical distribution, vernacular names, &c. Of course, where such 

 a mass of detail is being dealt with, there is room for differences of 

 opinion, and we do not always find ourselves quite in agreement with 

 the author. Thus, the seventy-five species of Orofalaria are placed 

 in various groups — those with trifoliate leaves in the Trifoliatie, 

 those with generally 5-7 leaflets in the Multifoliataj. The species in 

 the former group certainly agree in having trifoliate leaves, but in 

 other respects many differ very markedly one from the other: C. medi- 

 caginea Lam. and C. frifoliasfrum Willd. have obliquely subglobose 

 small sessile generally 2-sccded pods ; C. orixensis Rottl. have stalked 

 cylindrical 8-11 seeded pods; C. striata DC. has ver}' shortly 

 stalked many-seeded pods ; C. clavata W. & A. has clavate pods ; 

 while C. lahurnifolia L. has a many-seeded pod with a stalk often 

 about an inch long : the Trifoliatse as here defined are thus hardly a 

 a very natural group. In Indiyoferavfa find no groups are employed, 

 although the first three sjiecies — /. echinata Willd., I. linifoUa lletz, 

 and /. eordifolia Heyne — are extremely different from one another : 



