and Laboratory Methods. -285 



CURRENT BOTANICAL LITERATURE. 



CHARLES J. CHAMBERLAIN, University of Chicago. 



Books for Review and Separates of Papers on Botanical Subjects should be Sent to Charles J. 

 Chamberlain, University of Chicago, Chicago, 111. 



, ^ , ., , For this work Prof. Nemec used root 

 Nemec, B. Ueber centrosomahnliche Gebilde . . . 



in Vegetativen Zellen der Gefasspflanzen. tips of Bkchnum brazt/ietise, Diplazium 

 Ber. d. deutsch. hot. Gesell. 19: 301-310, pubescens, Dracma arbor ea. Hibiscus 



calycinus and AIniis g/utiiiosa. The 

 fixing fluids were : Flemming's chromo-osmo-acetic acid ; chomo-acetic acid ; 

 and a mixture of picric, acetic and sulphuric acids. The most successful stains 

 were : Fuchsin-S with or without Haidenhain's iron alum haematoxylin ; Flem- 

 ming's safranin-gentian violet-orange ; and Smaragdgriin with fuchsin-S. 



It was not difficult to find bodies resembling centrosomes and which would 

 doubtless be interpreted as such by those who expect to find centrosomes in 

 every cell. The writer, however, comes to the conclusion that there are no 

 genuine centrosomes in the vegetative cells of the vascular plants and none in 

 the reproductive cells, unless blepharoplasts are centrosomes, and he believes 

 that they are not. The figures look like those which are familiar to anyone who 

 has made preparations of mitotic figures in root tips. Prof. Nemec states that 

 with the same methods he was able to differentiate clearly the centrosomes of 

 the liverworts. c. j. c. 



. . ^ , , ^. , , In this paper Prof. Gerassimow records 

 Gerassimow, J. J. Ueber den Lintiuss des 



Kerns auf das Wachsthum der Zelle. Bull, the results of his extensive experiments 

 de la Soc. Imp. des Natural, de Moscou. ^^^^ ^j^e influence of the nucleus upon 

 Pp. 185-220, 47 tables and 2 plates, 1901. 



the growth of the cell. Spirogyra was 



the plant used and the conclusions depend upon a comparison of the behavior 

 of nucleated and non-nucleated cells. Previous investigators have worked with 

 enucleated portions of cells, but the present observations were made upon genu- 

 ine non-nucleate cells. To secure such non-nucleate cells, material with divid- 

 ing nuclei was selected and the mitotic division was disturbed so as to move the 

 dividing nucleus from its central position toward one side ; on the completion 

 of the partition, one of the cells — in successful cases — would be left without a 

 nucleus, although its chomatophores and other structures seem to be normal. 

 Non-nucleate material can be secured by lowering the temperature to somewhere 

 near the freezing point for thirty minutes or an hour, the water, however, not 

 being allowed to freeze. As is well known, Spirogyra usually divides late in 

 the evening or at night, but can be delayed until morning by keeping the tem- 

 perature sufficiently low, division taking place when the temperature is allowed 

 to rise. The writer preferred to use material found dividing spontaneously. 

 Such material was placed in a suitable vessel, surrounded with snow or crushed 

 ice for about an hour, and was then brought gradually to the room temperature. 

 On the following morning many non-nucleate cells and incomplete chambers 



