2 5& The Botanical Gazette. * [September, 



hybrids while intermediate in most details inherit two diverse 

 structures peculiar to each parent. Such hybrids are usually 

 largely sterile. Effects of heredity were traced in flowering 

 period, color, chemical constitution and powers of resistance, 

 showing that an organism is normally an equal blending of 



both parents. Explanation was offered of cases where the 



offspring resembles one parent rather than another. 



The future of Systematic Botany: JOHN M. COULTER. 

 -—The vice-presidential address is printed in full in this 



issue. 



The botanical papers before section F were as follows: 

 On the structure and dimorphism of Hypocrea tuberiformis 

 B.&rRav.: Geo. F. Atkinson. — H. tuberiformis was de- 

 scribed by Berkeley in Grcvil/ca, 4. 1 3, from specimens collected 

 by Ravenel in S. C. It was also distributed in Rav. Fung. Am. 

 n. 733, and in Rav. Fung. Car. n. 52. The perfect stage 

 has never been described. Patouillard described a new genus 

 ( Dussiella) from specimens -of a fungus in the Berlin Museum, 

 which was wrongly determined as Hypocrea tuberiformis B. 

 & Rav. It was collected in Caracas and is very different from 

 the American specimens on Arundinaria, the perithecia being 

 entirely immersed in the stroma and accompanied by para- 

 physes, while in the American specimens the perithecia are 

 sessile and stand on the stroma "like the young horns of Po- 

 dosma macropus." The fungus is closely related to Epichloe, 

 but as the stroma does not entirely surround its host it would 

 fall into the genus unnecessarily erected by Saccardo, and for 



the time being would read Hypocrella tuberiformis (B. & 

 Rav.). 



The spectroscope in botanical studies: I. A. BRASH EAR. 



A simple method of studying the selective absorption and 

 renecttorf of flowers and leaves by means of the spectroscope 

 was suggested. The author gave the results of a number of 

 studies on the colors of flowers and leaves, illustrating results 

 by means of diagrams. 



On the prothallium and embryo of Osmunda Clavtoniana 

 audO cinnamomca: Douglas H. CAMPBELL.-— The author 

 treated at length the structure and germination of the spores, 

 the development of the prothallium, the structure and devel- 

 opment of the sexual organs, fertilization, the development of 

 the embryo with comparison in the two species; closing with 



