I38 BOTANICAL GAZETTE, [May, 



the recently published investigations of Kohl 1 on the hairs of Borragin- 

 acese, Urticacete, Cucurbitacese, etc., and earlier ones of Krabbe 2 on bast 

 fibers. The earliest appearance either in the case of a new wall or a thicken- 

 ing layer, is a great number of swarming particles which quickly change 

 into a rodlet structure. This consists of a series of very short rods set 

 side by side, with minute prolongations of the protoplasm between. 

 These rods grow larger and larger and become the solid wall or new layer. 

 All attempts to demonstrate the chemical nature or origin of the first- 

 appearing particles failed. The rodlets give the cellulose reaction. These 

 observations taken in connection with those referred to above make it 

 tolerably certain that there is a form of growth in thickness of the cell 

 wall that is neither apposition nor intussusception, but which consists in 

 the addition bodily of a new structure. And it is quite possible when a 

 new layer is put on in this way that some proteid materials should be in- 

 cluded between the older and newer layer. This mode of growth in 

 thickness is quite in contrast with the views heretofore held by Stras- 

 burger and others. Strasburger's latest contribution to this subject is 

 just issued and has not yet come under our notice. 



Woronin has recently described a disease of cranberry plants pro- 

 duced by the attack of a new species of Sclerotinia, S. Vaccinii Wor. 

 The fungus attacks young shoots in spring and makes them yellowish- 

 brown to black, the discoloration gradually extending to the leaves. The 

 conidia are formed m a thick pseudo-parenchymatous swelling which in- 

 volves the cortex. They are formed by constriction without any trans- 

 verse wall until after the apical growth of the conidiophore has ceased. 

 Then they are pushed off by a curious device, and carried by the wind or 

 insects to the stigmas of flowers. Here they grow as pollen grains would 

 and fill the cavity of the ovary with hyphre. From the outer ones 

 branches invade the ovary wall and convert it into a sclerotium. This 

 drops oft, withers among the leaves and moss, and as the snow melts in 

 the spring forms fruiting branches. The ascospores are ejected in the 

 ame way as in Claviceps and the young shoots are infected toward the 

 end of May. The germ tube penetrates the epidermis wall and reaches 

 the fibro-vascular bundle where it develops as before. 



William 



oj 



Amherst, Mass. The list comprises eighty-four species and five varieties 

 or forms. Of these two are new species and four new varieties. The 

 paper is illustrated by two plates. 



A work on British Uredinese and Ustilaginese, by Charles B. Plow- 

 right, has been published, and will receive suitable notice in our next 

 number. It is issued at $2.65 ( l(k 6rf.), and, after the conservative English 

 method, subscribers (who pay only 8s. 6d.) are required to forward the 

 price before receiving their copy. 



Muscarine, heretofore considered as belonging exclusively to certain 

 poisonous mushrooms, has been detected in a Japanese food, consisting 

 of rice and fish, a 3 a product of decomposition. A case of food poisoning, 

 in which four persons lost their lives, was investigated by Dr. H. E. Stock- 

 bridge (Report of the chemist to the Hokkaido Cho, 1888) and the active 

 agent found to be a ptomaine with the properties of muscarine. 



ifiot. Centralblatt xxxvii. 1. 

 springs. Jahrb. xviii. 346. 



