168 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [AUGUST 
Morphology of the podocarps.—Sinnorr” has gakuen the a 
tive structures of the Podocarpineae and has come to some conclusions refer- 
ence to the relationships of the group. The detailed ae are too numerous 
to be cited here, but the author has canvassed the structures of the ovulate 
strobilus, the characteristic male gametophyte, the wings of the pollen grains, 
the female gametophyte, fertilization, the proembryo, and the endosperm, and 
has concluded that the group has been derived from the Abietineae through 
forms resembling Podocarpus, which is therefore the oldest genus. Some strik- 
ing resemblances between the podocarps and araucarians further suggest that 
both of these groups may have arisen from an ancient group closely allied to 
the Abietineae. A connection with the taxads is also suggested by resemblances 
between Cephalotaxus and certain species of Podocarpus, the conclusion being 
that the Taxineae, through Cephalotaxus (its most ancient ware may have 
arisen from some ancient member of the Podocarpineae.—J. M. C. 

Adventive branches in Frullania.—Miss Lorenz® finds that 4 of the rr 
species of Frullania in New England reproduce vegetatively by adventitious 
shoots. From her statements it seems that a marginal cell of a leaf enlarges; 
that the first two planes of division are anticlinal, giving a quadrant of more or 
less unequal cells; that the next plane of division is periclinal; that from one 
of the outer cells of the resulting octant a pyramidal apical cell which gives 
rise to the shoot is developed. The first leaves of the shoot are rudimentary, 
but very soon the adult form appears. Ventral leaves are also delayed. AS 
should perhaps be expected, these vegetative shoots are more frequent on 
dioecious than on autoecious species.—W. J. G. Lanp. 
Origin of species in Hieracium.—OsrenreLp” has conducted an exten- 
sive set of experiments with Hieracium to discover the possible relationship be- 
tween it dits st rong tendency to apogamy. He has reached t € 
conclasion that new forms arise as hybrids and also by single variations (muta- 
tions), and that in both of these cases “the prevailing apogamy supports their 
existence and constancy.” This means that the polymorphism of the genus 
is correlated with its apogamy.—J. M. C 




7 Sinnott, EpMunp W., The morphology of the apenas structures in the 
Podocarpineae. Ann. Botany 27: 39-82. figs. 9. pls. 5-9. 
‘8 LORENZ, ANNIE, Vegetative reproduction in the sea “England Frullaniae. 
Bull. Torr. Bot. Club ht 284. figs. 3. 1912. 
9 OSTENFELD, C. H., Experiments on the origin of species in the genus Hig* 
(apogamy and sation ge Phytol. 11:347-354. 1912 
