874 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXVI. No. 67r 



tion of the foliage was subsequently corrected 

 in the " Genera Plantarum." Photographs 

 were shown illustrating the two cotyledons and 

 also the position and character of the two 

 nepionic leaves. The latter, which will sub- 

 sequently develop into the long, tentacle-like 

 leaves of the mature plant, are at first small 

 and linear, springing up directly between the 

 cotyledons, which they closely resemble, and 

 at right angles to them. It was noted that 

 sometimes these leaves were pressed close 

 together, and at other times spread as far 

 apart as possible; that is, they were prostrated 

 on each side of the axis of the plant. From 

 being thus flattened out on the soil they would 

 gradually become erect and finally touch their 

 inner surfaces together. In seeking an ex- 

 planation of this peculiarity several ideas sug- 

 gested themselves, the true one seeming to be 

 that the movement of the leaves was a direct 

 response to the presence or absence of water. 

 When they were prostrate they were simply 

 wilted, and it was the water that made them 

 stand erect. On account of the typically 

 xerophytic aspect of even these seedling leaves 

 one would not suspect that they were wilted, 

 there being no external evidence of any loss of 

 turgidity, except the change of position above 

 described. 



Some Beceni Species of Plantago: E. L. 



Morris. 



Plantago is the genus of plants containing 

 our common plantain. Probably these plants 

 are by most people considered nothing more 

 than weeds, but in contrast to these as weeds 

 there is a large group of species typically at 

 home and indigenous in the semi-arid regions 

 of our west and southwest. The species for 

 a long time were included under one name, 

 a name which was applied originally to the 

 South Artierican species found only in Pata- 

 gonia. 



The speaker called attention to a series 

 of sheets of some fifteen species which, he 

 stated, were until 1900, or a few years 

 preceding, classified under the name of Plan- 

 tago patagonica J'acquin, or, to speak more 

 definitely, since 1845 there had been but 

 three specific segregations from this com- 



posite and decidedly variant group. One 

 of these was described by Dr. J. K. Small, 

 another by Miss A. M. Cunningham and 

 another by Dr. E. L. Greene. The mis- 

 application of the name of Miss Cunning- 

 ham's species to a specimen received in ex- 

 change, led to the study of the group and 

 the segregation of the species into two dis- 

 tinct types, those with relatively long and 

 definitely acute bracts, in distinction from 

 those with typically short and definitely obtuse 

 or rounded bracts. Among the group of per- 

 ennial species of the genus, reference was made 

 to a species from Mt. Shasta, formerly in- 

 cluded in a species typical only of the ex- 

 treme southwest. Eeference was then made to 

 a recent species from Alaska, characterized by 

 the marked septation or partitioning of the 

 leaf hairs. A most notable fact regarding this 

 species is that the next important collection 

 of it was made in Montana. It appears that 

 no collections of this species have been made 

 along the Kocky Mountain regions between 

 the Yukon and Montana stations. The last 

 group of species noticed was that belonging to 

 the typical South American subgenus Planta- 

 ginella, represented there by several species. 

 A species recently reported from Mexico be- 

 longs unquestionably to this group, though 

 quite out of its formerly known range. The 

 chief characteristic of this species is the uni- 

 floriate spike, which, preceding anthesis, is en- 

 closed within a prominent sheathing bract. 

 Then followed a brief discussion of variation 

 in our common eastern species, the facts being 

 noted that certain forms may soon require a 

 segregation with the rank of species. 



A brief discussion followed the presentation 

 of each of the topics of the evening. 



Winifred J. Eobinson, 

 Secretary pro tern. 



THE SCIENCE CLUB OF WELLESLEY COLLEGE 



The club held its 90th regular meeting 

 on October 8. Dr. Lincoln W. Piddle pre- 

 sented a paper on " Some Fungi Parasitic on 

 Insects." The paper took up two groups of 

 fungi: Entomophthora and Empitsa parasitic 

 on flies, grasshoppers and various hairy eater- 



