472 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [DECEMBER 
SCHULZE’? has investigated quantitatively the formation of arginin in various 
stages of the gérmination of Lupinus luteus. He finds it is produced entirely 
from proteid decomposition, probably through the action of erepsin, a protease. 
The facts adduced seem to support his contention that asparagin is a secondary 
product, because it is not formed pari passu with decomposition of proteids as 
arginin is—C. R. B 
JoLiscH reports?° an extraordinarily rapid autonomous movement of the 
leaves in Oxalis hedysaroides HBK., far exceeding the oft-described movements 
of Desmodium gyrans. In the latter the leaf completes its elliptical path in 85-90 
seconds at a temperature of 35° C., while in the former the tips of the leaflets 
may sink at once 30~45°, or a distance of 5—15™™, in a single second, though 
the movement may consume twelve seconds and be executed in a succession of 
six jerks, with a pause of about a second between. The recovery occupies about 
five minutes.—C. R. B. 
THE RESULTS of ScHOUTE?* on the histogenetic layers of Hippuris vulgaris 
have been called in question by Knrep?? who considers that ScHouUTE studied 
too few specimens and used unsuitable methods. From a renewed study of the 
growing point in a large number of stems of Hippuris, KNrep concludes that 
the histogenetic layers of HANSTEIN correspond to the regions distinguished by 
Van TiecHEM, thus going back to the old accepted view. It is unfortunate 
for this theory that Hippuris is the only flowering plant in which the histogenetic 
layers of the stem are distinguishable—M. A. CHRYSLER. 
SCHIFFNER calls CoKER sharplyto account?3 for overlooking his characteriza- 
tion of Dumortiera as having rudimentary air-chambers and so misrepresenting 
him.?4 He contends that the obliteration of the air-chambers is not an adaptation 
THE JOINTED structure peculiar to some genera of the corallines in the red 
algae has been studied by YENDO.?5 These regions of the plant are free from 
*9 SCHULZE, E., Ueber die Argininbildung in den Keimpflanzen von Lupinus 
luteus. Ber. Deutsch. Bot. Gesells. 22: 381-384. 1904. 
7° MoLiscu, Hans, Ueber eine auffallend rasche autonome Blattbewegung bei 
Oxalis hedysaroides HBK. Ber. Deutsch. Bot. Gesells. 22: 372-376. figs. 2. 1904. 
21 See review in Bor. Gaz. 35:144. 1903. 
2 Knrep, H. Sur le point végétatif de la tige de lHippuris vulgaris. Ann. 
Sci. Nat. Bot. VIII. 19: 293-303. 1904. 
23 SCHIFFNER, V., Ueber Dumortiera. Hedwigia 43:428. 1904. 
24 COKER, W. C., Dumortiera. Bot, GAZETTE 36: 225. 1903. ; 
*5 YENDO, K., A study of the genicula of Corallinae. Jour. Coll. Sci. Imp. Univ. 
Tokyo 19:—. [pp. 41. pls. r.] 1904. 
