1332 Journal of Applied Microscopy 



CURRENT BOTANICAL LITERATURE. 



Charles J. Chamberlain. 



Books for review and separates of papers on botanical subjects should be sent to 



Charles J. Chamberlain, University of Chicago, 



Chicago, 111. 



REVIEWS. 



„ c ^ ., • „. , , , r- This paper contains a detailed descrip- 



Ikeno, a. Contribution a letude de la fecon- ^ ^ ^ 



dation chez le Ginkgo biloba. Ann. Sci. tion of fertilization and related phe- 

 Nat.Bot. Ser. VIII, 13: 305-318, pi. 2-3, nomena in Ginkgo, from the formation 

 1901. "^ 



of the ventral canal cell up to the 



first division of the oospore nucleus. The nucleus of the ventral canal cell 

 rapidly disorganizes, while its sister nucleus increases in size and moves toward 

 the center of the oosphere. In preparations stained with methyl blue and acid 

 fuchsin, the metaplasmic ground substance of the nucleus stains red, and the 

 chromatin, which forms a small, irregular, granular mass, also takes the red, 

 while the nucleoli stain blue. 



The nucleus now undergoes a great change in its structure, so that the 

 metaplasm and chromatin can no longer be distinguished from each other. The 

 further development of the nucleus of the oosphere agrees with the description 

 of the corresponding phenomena in Pifuis laricio as described by the reviewer 

 some time ago. In one instance Professor Ikeno noted an abnormal develop- 

 ment of the nucleus of the ventral canal cell, resembling the cases described for 

 Pinus laricio. 



The tube nucleus and the nucleus of the stalk cell disorganize within the 

 pollen tube and do not enter the oosphere, and it is very probable that only one 

 of the antherozoids is discharged, the other disorganizing without being able to 

 enter. The nucleus of the antherozoid slips out from the cytoplasmic mantle 

 before conjugating with the nucleus of the oosphere. The mode of fusion is 

 like that already described for Cycas revoliita, i. e. the male nucleus gradually 

 penetrates into the nucleus of the oosphere and lies within this nucleus before 

 losing its own membranes. At the time of fusion the sex nuclei are very 

 unequal in size, the female being about ten times as large as the male. The 

 behavior of the chromatin during the fusion is not described. 



The spindle in the first division of the fusion nucleus is very broad and 

 multipolar and is never parallel with the longitudinal axis of the oosphere. In 

 the case figured the spindle is tranverse. Fertilization takes place before the 

 ovules fall from the tree. c. j. c. 



The zygospore of Sporodinia is sur- 

 Gruber, Eduard. Ueber das Verhalten der 1 



Zellkerne in den Zygosporen von Sporodinia rounded by three COatS, the outer of 

 grandis Link. Ber. d. deutsch. bot. Gesell. ^hich is dark brown, warty, and cut- 



19: 51-55, pi- 2, I9OI. . . , , . r 1 r 1 



mized, and is formed from the mem- 

 brane of the conjugating gametes, while the two inner coats belong to the 

 zygospore itself. The middle coat is somewhat thickened and has a lamellate 

 appearance, while the innermost is a mere Hautschicht. 



