122 BOTANICAL GAZETTE | FEBRUARY 
Structure and parasitism of Aphyllon uniflorum: AMELIA C. SMITH, 
University of Pennsylvania——The most conspicuous features of 
this plant, as thus far worked out, are as follows: (1) Its para 
sitism on Aster corymbosum, and the degeneration attendant upon 
its parasitic habit, as expressed by: (a) absence of chlorophyll; 
(4) degeneration of leaves; (c) loss of root-hairs and probably 
of root-cap; (d) reduction and degeneration of the bundle 
system, and greater relative development of phloem than of 
xylem; (¢) small size of seed, primitive embryo, and develop: | 
ment of this embryo within mass of (probably) precocious 
endosperm. (2) Stomata, where present, are on the mort | 
exposed places, ¢. ¢., outer surfaces of upper bract-leaves, uppét | 
part of flower-stalk, outer sufaces of calyx and corolla. (3) 
Starch is present in great quantities in roots, stems, leaves and 
carpellary tissue. 
On the occurrence of tubers in the Hepatice: M. A. How 
Columbia University.—In none of the standard text-books does 
there appear to be any allusion to such structures. The number 
of known tuber-bearing species at the present time is at leat 
eleven; of Anthoceros four, Riccia three, Petalophyllum tw® 
Fossombronia one, and Geothallus one. As the Hepatice of 
drier regions become better known this adaptation to drought 
will probably prove more common than now generally suppose: 
In the Californian Anthoceros phymatodes, the tuber first appea® 
as a swelling near the apparent apex of a costa-like thickening ; 
of a thallus segment, becoming later strictly ventral throug 
the continued onward growth of the segment, and coming at the 
same time to be pendent from the ventral surface through the 
formation of a peduncle. The body of the tuber consists of # 
cells enclosing * | 
eat | 
Ash: & 
5 of 7 
a 
cortex of two to four layers of nearly empty 
mass of smaller cells so densely filled with oil-drops oF . 
colorless granules that the cell-boundaries are obscure. 
worth finds aleurone-grains and oil-drops in the interior cell | 
the tubers of the Australian Anthoceros tuberosus, The * ae 
food-materials in the tubers of the Californian plant —s ai 
ne 
the same forms. There is very little, if any, starch. 
