772 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



of the sensitive plant, M. Bartlielemy believes to be capable of expla- 

 nation on the same general principle — a variation of tension due to 

 the action of the sun. In short, the movements of fluids within the 

 plant and those of flexible organs are alike dependent on variations 

 in the hydrostatic tension, under the influence of the suction of the 

 roots, and the reaction of the foliaceous extremities. 



Poulsen's Botanical Micro-Chemistry.* — The German edition of 



this work, by C. Miiller, is not merely a translation, but is enriched 

 by numerous additions and corrections by the editor. 



After an index to the most important works on micro-chemistry, 

 the text of the book is divided into two sections. The first treats of 

 micro-chemical reagents and their use ; the second of vegetable sub- 

 stances and the methods of diagnosis. This division greatly increases 

 the usefulness of the work for students. If, for example, it is required 

 to gain information on the use of chlor-iodide of zinc, the subject is 

 looked up in the first section. If, on the other hand, information 

 is desired on the presence or absence of an " intercellular substance " 

 in any tissue, the application of reagents to determine this point will 

 be found in the second section. In the same manner, the student 

 can at once refer to all that is known about Schultze's maceration, 

 Hanstein's method of rendering tissues transparent, Trommer's sugar- 

 test, &c. &c. 



B. CRYPTOGAMIA. 



Muscineae. 



Hybrid Moss.j — In some mosses from Oporto, consisting of 

 Leptotriclium subulatum, intermingled with Pleuridium suhulatum, 

 M. Venturi detected one plant that seemed to combine the characters 

 of both, and which he considers to be their hybrid. 



The form of the capsule corresponded to that of L. suhulatum, 

 although it was a little shorter ; but the much smaller operculum was 

 here so attached that on cutting the fruit longitudinally through the 

 middle a diversity of tissue was clearly visible at the spot where the 

 conjunction of the operculum ought to be ; but it was only torn with 

 difficulty, just as, in the capsule of Pleuridium, the part corresponding 

 to the lid is not easily separated from the rest of the capsule. The 

 transition from the areolation of the lid to the wall of the capsule 

 was insensible, without a trace of peristome, as in most mosses 

 designated Gleistocarpi. 



The pedicel was only twice as long as the capsule, so that the 

 perichaetial leaves were longer than the pedicel together with the 

 capsule. The vaginula was, nevertheless, cylindrical like that of 

 L. suhulatum, and the antheridia disposed as in Pleuridium, only more 

 consistent, and in this respect resembling the antheridia of L. 

 suhulatum. 



* Poulsen, v. A., ' Botanische Mikrochemie. Eine Ableittmg zu phyto- 

 histologischen Untersuch. zum Gebrauch fiir Studirende ausgearbeitet. Aus dem 

 D'anischen unter Mitwirkung des Verfassers ubersetzt von Carl Miiller. xvi. 

 und83pp. (8vo, Cassel, 1881.) 



t Eev. Bryolog., viii. (1881) pp. 20-2. 



