182 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [ auust 
DANGEARD has described the life-history of a parasite of the nucleus of 
Ameba, and named it Nucleophaga Amebe. It is probably one of the low- 
est Chytridiacee, related to Spherita, which is a recently discovered parasite 
on Euglena®—C, R. B. 
IN REVIEWING the species of Aszmina, Mr. Geo. F. Nash recognizes (Bull. 
Torr. Bot. Club 23:234. 1896) seven species, one of which (A. sfeciosa) is 
described for the first time, having been confused heretofore with A. grandi- 
flora Dunal, which becomes A. obovata (Willd.)—J. M. C. 
Dr. F. W. Kiar has just described (Bud?. Herb. Boiss. 4:456-475 and 
479, 480. 1896) the following new genera of Composit, all African except the 
last, which is Cuban: Symphipappus (Inuloidez), Distegia (Helianthoidee), 
Dolosanthus (Mutisiacee), Monactinocephalus (Mutisiacex), and Lepidesmi 
(Eupatoriacez ?), Each genus is illustrated with a plate.—J. M. C. 
WInoGRADSKY has communicated to the Paris Academy of Sciences? the 
results of M. V. Fribes’ researches in his laboratory at St. Petersburgh upo! 
the maceration of flax for the isolation of the fibers. The rotting is due t0 
an obligate anaerobic bacillus, which acts not as a cellulose ferment but as @ 
pectin ferment. It dissolves the middle lamella of the cortical parenchyma 
which consists of calcium pectinate, and thus isolates the fibers.—C. R. B. 
Mr. P. A. RYDBERG has begun a series of notes on Potentilla (Bull. Torr. 
Bot. Club 23:244. 1896), in which his views as to the limitation of species dif 
fer widely from those of Dr. Watson (Proc. Amer. Acad. 8: 549-573): and 2 
agree closely with those of Dr. Christian Lehmann, of Hamburg, whose 
“ Revisio Potentillarum ” (1856) serves as a basis for the present work. 4 
the genus is one of the most perplexing of our flora it is to be hoped tat * 
Rydberg will be successful in this attempt to disentangle the species} 
M. C. : 
M. J. Briquet announces (Bud/, Herb. Boiss. 4:354. 1896) the discorey 
of a hybrid between Bupleurum ranunculoides and B. Jongifolium, 00 ee 
very distinct morphologically and topographically. The discovery oor 
esting, not merely on account of the distinctness of the parent species: | 
also because of the extreme rarity of reported hybrids among the Us ee 
re. The hybrid, named BZ. Guineti, seems well established, bad ne 7 
intermediate in its characters, and exhibits a wide range of varia = 
Mf oo 
AMONG THE NEW Verbenacexe recently described by J. Briquet (/ , 
Herb. Boiss. 4:336. 1896), Xeroplana is a new genus from South Africas * 
Pia Pringlei is a new species from Guadalajura, Mexico (Pringle 1733) 
e% 
® Cf. Bot. Centralb. 66: 256. 1896. 
° Compt. Rend. raz: 742.18 N 1895. 
