. Fortpflanzung. 73 



geneous nuclear portion, and a cytoplasmic portion represented by the blepharo- 

 plast and cilia. A small amonnt of cytoplasm may also persist as a vesicle. 



Gates (London). 



166) Bartlett, A. W. (Sheffield), Note on the occurrence of an abnormal 

 bisporangiate strobilus of Larix Europaca DC. In: Annais of Botany, 

 Bd. 27, S. 575—576, 2 Fig., 1913. 



An abnormal cone of the larch was found, bearing both mega- and micro- 

 sporangia. The upper half of the cone bore megasporophylls, and the lower part 

 microsporophylls, and intermediate between the two was a narrow zone of small 

 sterile scales. Several of the microsporophylls next the abortive sporophylls were 

 abnormal in having a downwardly directed process between the two microsporan- 

 gia. This process was hollow and apparently consisted of glandulär tissue. 



Gates (London). 



167) Arber, Agnes, On the structure of the androecium in Parnassia, 

 and its bearing on the affinities of the genus. In: Annais of Botany, 

 Bd. 27, S. 491—510, PL 36, Fig. 4, 1913. 



This genus has usually been classed with the Saxifragaceae from which, how- 

 ever, it Stands apart. The writer has made a study of the vascular symmetry 

 of the androecium and other parts of the flower in three species of Parnassia 

 from the Rocky Mountains of Canada, as well as in other material. Centripetal 

 xylem was found in the filaments. Since the occurrence of centripetal wood is 

 essentially a cryptogamic feature, being scarcely found in Phanerogams at all, 

 its occurrence in Parnassia was of interest, though obviously it was not a survi- 

 val from a remote cryptogamic or gymnospermous ancestor. 



The course of the vascular Strands in the shows that the staminodes or 

 nectiares of Parnassia represent the inner whorl of the androecium, confirming 

 D rüdes view based on developmental evidence. 



In Parnassia palustris L. and P. fimbriuta Banks it was found that the vas- 

 cular Strand of the filaments contains centripetal xylem accompanied by numerous 

 phloem groups arranged around the xylem. In the connective this mesarch xylem 

 branches, forming a number of distinct Strands. These anatomical peculiarities 

 are believed to represent vestigial vascular Strands, indicating that each stamen 

 of Parnassia is reduced from an ancestral stamen -fascicle such as is found in 

 Hypericum. 



Regarding the affinities of Parnassia, the view of Drude is accepted, na- 

 mely that the genus should be placed in a separate order (Parnassiae), related to 

 the Saxifragaceae, Droseraceae and Hypericineae; but it is held that the rela- 

 tionship with the Hypericineae is closer than that writer supposed. 



Gates (London). 



168) Hill, A. W. (Kew), The floral morphology of the genus Sebaea. In; Annais 

 of Botany, Bd. 27, S. 479—489, PI. 35, 2 Fig., 1913. 



The genus Sebaea (Gentianiaceae), containing about 100 species, part of which are 

 South African, is diplostigraatic. That is, in addition to the apical stigma, secondary 

 stigmatic patches are borne on üie style below the level of the anthers. The paper 

 contains a study of these secondary stigmas, which confirms and extends the previous 

 results of Marloth. The secondary stigmas appear to have originated by downward 

 elongations of the original stigmatic surface, which afterwards became separated from 

 the apical i^ortion by non-stigmatic tissue. The flowers are protandrous, the anthers 

 opening in the bud, and pollen is thus shed on the secondary stigmas below. It is sug- 

 gested that this represents a Condensed form of heterostylism, modified to ensure seif- 



