﻿72 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [JANUARY 



tophyllum, and after examining Nelumbo decides that here also there are two 

 cotyledons, and that the apparently lateral origin of the stem tip is due to 

 displacement. In Ceratophyllum not even the rudiment of a primary root is 

 formed. The absence of a di£ferentiated tissue in the cotyledon Lyon 

 regards as a character not found in dicotyledons. The same structure appears \ 



in Ceratophyllum and Strasburgerbelieves it is due to the fact that there is no r; 



primary root, the first functioning root coming from the stem above the coty- 

 ledon, practically the same condition as in Nelumbo; for, while Nelumbo 

 has the rudiment of a primary root, it does not function, the first functional 

 roots appearing as in Ceratophyllum. This, like the general reduction of 

 the vascular system is regarded as an extreme adaptation to the water habit. 

 Through such extreme adaptation the specific characters which indicate the 

 place of the plant in the natural system are often obscured or even sup- 

 pressed- 



The latter part of the paper is devoted to a discussion of homology and 

 phylogeny. Nothing but a careful reading of the entire paper could give an 

 adequate idea of the views presented, but a few points may be mentioned. 

 In establishing a natural system of organisms morphology will constantly be 

 the guide, while to physiology will fall the task of clearing up the causes of 

 influences, and of bringing definite forms and structures into relation to func- 

 tion. Natural selection has been overestimated ; its function appears to be 

 only that of removing the less valuable forms provided by mutation and 

 direct influence. As Hertwig says, there are many cases in which the 

 sequence of stages in ontogenetic development are caused by general laws of 

 the development of living substance, but in many cases, like the water ferns, 

 recapitulation is evident, — C. J. Chamberlain. 



Items of taxonomic interest are as follows: M. L. Fernald (Rho- 



dora 4:213-216. 1902) has described a new variety (£?(5/«^zyt?/za) of Glaux 

 maritima.— Vw, van Tieghem (Jour. Botanique 16: 289-291. 1902) has 

 described another new genus {Periblepharis) of Luxembourgiaceae. — L. M. 

 Underwood (Torreya 2 : 172-173. 1902) has described 2 new species of Sela- 

 ginella from North Carolina. — E. L. Greene (Pittonia 5: 57-106. 1902), in a 

 fascicle of new Compositae, has described new species of Gaillardia (2), 

 Laciniaria (2), Erigeron (2), and Chrysothamnus (12); has described 5 new 



species of Apocynum and 10 new species of Eriogonum; has revised the genus 

 Euthamia to include 14 new species; has described 15 new species of Monar- 

 della, and 15 new species of Viola. — Theo. Holm (Am. Jour. Sci. IV. 14: 

 417-425, 1902) has described 3 new segregates of Carex Tobniei Boott. — C. 

 V. Piper (Bull. Torr. Bot. Club 29 : 642-646. 1902), in his seventh paper on 

 new and noteworthy northwestern plants, has described new species of Lupi- 

 nus, Arctostaphylos, Phlox, Allocarya, Mertensia, Lonicera, and Aster (5). 

 In the publication of the Chinese Playitae Bodinierianae, MM. Leveille and 

 EuG. Vaniot (Bull. Acad. Internat. G^og. Bot. 11 : 338-344. 1902) have 



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