_~ 1906] CURRENT LITERATURE 499 
branches called Brachyphyllum and the cones called Protodammara. Th 
multinomial genus was thought by the authors to be “‘in all probability the last 
survivor of an ancient Araucarian line of descent, joined near its base with the 
primitive stocks of the Abietineous and Cupressineous series 
More recently JEFFREY has been able to study the wound mites of Brachy- 
_ phyllum and to draw from them more definite conclusions as to its relationships.*7 
In a well-preserved specimen of the wood, Brachyphyllum can be distinguished 
at once from any living Araucarian by the absence of resiniferous elements other 
than those found in the pith-rays. In this feature the genus resembles such old 
gymnosperm groups as the Pteridospermae, Cordaitales, and Cycadales, and 
also the very ancient but still flourishing genus Pinus. Jerrrey further finds 
that Brachyphyllum agrees with the Abietineae in its traumatic reactions, resin- 
canals being formed as a result of wounding. Following the line of reasoning 
used in connection with his work on Sequoia,'® he concludes that these reactions 
furnish one evidence that the Araucarieae are phylogenetically connected with 
the Abietineae; and that Agathis and Araucaria hold the same relation to Brachy- 
phyllum that the other genera of the Cupressineae hold to Sequoia. This phy- 
position of existing Araucarians among existing Coniferales, and also on account 
of Sewarp’s recently expressed views’? in reference to the relationships and 
origin of the Araucarians.—J. M. C. 
Adsorption of chlorophyll.—It has always been troublesome to explain the 
differential extraction of the chlorophyll pigments by their solvents under various 
conditions, and Tswetrt seeks to supply a better theory.?° Thus, fresh leaves or 
those ground in a mortar with sand or emery and covered with petrolether yield a 
more or less pure-yellow extract of carotin, with traces of other pigments. ried 
leaves, even at a lower temperature, yield even purer carotin. But boiled leaves, 
_ or even warmed tissues, yield green extract. Alcohols (methyl, ethyl, and amyl), 
acetone, acetaldehyde, ether, and chloroform give a green extract with fresh, 
dry, or boiled leaves, dissolving all pigments freely. It suffices to add a little 
alcohol (10 per cent. for fresh, 1 per cent. for dry leaves) or the other solvents to 
petrolether to secure a beautiful green extract. How explain these facts ? 
If strips of filter paper be put into a flask with an alcohol- petrolether solution 
and the solvent evaporated in vacuo, the pigments become concentrated in the 
paper. This dry green paper now behaves toward solvents exactly as above 
stated for the green leaves. This, Tswertr holds, indicates that the pigments?s 
17 JEFFREY, E. C., The wound reactions of Brachyphyllum. Annals of Botany 
20: 383-304. pls. 27-28. 1906, 
18 See Bot. GAZETTE 38: 321. 1904. 
19 See Bot. GAZETTE 42:224. 1906. 
20 Tswett, M., Physikalisch-chemische Studien iiber das Chlorophyll. Die 
Adsorptionen. Ve ack Bot. Gesells. 24:316-23- 1906. 
