136 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



Romance of Plant Life. — On June 7th, Dr. 

 D. Morris, of Kev,-, delivered the first of two 

 lectures at the Royal Botanic Society on this 

 subject. Dr. Morris discussed some of the most 

 striking features of the vegetation of the Canary 

 Islands. Chief among these were the dragon trees, 

 which were closely related to trees distributed over 

 widely separated parts of Africa. Fossil remains 

 were found at the present day of an old African 

 flora in Africa, Canaries, etc.. which had been 

 gradually driven out and replaced by more tropical 

 plants. 



Development of Plants. — In an article 

 recently contributed to a contemporarv, Mr. 

 Charles T. Druery remarks that there is far too 

 great a tendency to stigmatise the abnormalities 

 met with in the field of natural science as mere 

 •• monstrosities." He is convinced that in the long 

 history of evolution the ••sports" or "special 

 creations ' ' among plants and animals may have 

 largely contributed to diversity of type as well as 

 the slow moulding of changing environment. Mr. 

 Druery mentions that at Dartmoor a simple 

 "sport " of Asplenium adian turn -nigrum occurred, the 

 spores of which yielded a large number of indivi- 

 duals of the same type which gradually dispossessed 

 the normal and took its place, and this would prove 

 the possibility of new forms becoming permanent 

 by natural selection only. All readers of Science- 

 Gossip should look out for " sports " or " monstrosi- 

 ties," and should send particulars to the editor, for 

 it is only by mutual co-operation that we can hope 

 to unravel the mysteries of nature. 



The Epidermis and Cuticle. — In most of 

 those plants that grow- on dry and exposed situa- 

 tions, such as downs, heaths, sandy moors, etc.. 

 either the size or quantity of the stomata, or both, 

 are greatly augmented, as in Ophrys, Aceras, Aren- 

 aria tenia and Orchis mascula. Often upon the 

 epidermis, especially of the latter, there is a 

 continuous striate hyaline pellicle called the cuticle ; 

 or the walls of the epidermal cells mav be thickened, 

 which, in either case, obviously assists in protecting 

 the subjacent tissues from the increased heat of the 

 sun in those situations. The effect of this cuticle 

 undoubtedly corresponds in these plants of 

 temperate climates to the increased number of 

 layers of the epidermal tissue in the plants of 

 tropical and other hot countries, though in a 

 diminished degree. On the other hand, those 

 plants growing in damp and humid places have 

 fewer and smaller stomata than those living in dry 

 situations : as examples of the former, Lamium 

 galecbdolon and Melampyrum pratense may be cited. 

 However, Epipactis latifolia, HydrocotyU vulgaris, and 

 the Equiseta appear to be exceptions. " The terms 

 'Epidermis' and ' Cuticle ' would be far better if 

 used in the reverse sense, that is cuticle for the 

 epidermis, and epidermis for the thin pellicle 

 mentioned above, as used by Dr. Carpenter in 

 ' The Microscope ' " (page 444, note). — Henry E. 

 Griset, Holloway, N. 



Fasciated Asparagus. — I take the liberty of 

 sending you a photograph of some asparagus now- 

 being exhibited in the window of Mr. A. Cockerill, 

 of this town, taken from his garden at Abington, 

 near Northampton. — Geo. Nichols, 36, The Drapery, 

 Northampton; May 24th, 1895. 



"The photograph represents eight fasciated stems 

 of asparagus. Fasciation is by no means uncommon 

 in cultivated asparagus (vide last volume S.-G., 

 page 159). It may be caused by the cutting-knife 

 injuring the growing buds under the soil (vide ante, 

 page 44).— Ed.] 



Impatiens fulva on the Thames. — I can give 

 another locality for the plant which your corres- 

 pondent refers to on page 80. Specimens of 

 Impatiens fulva may be found in blossom, during 

 August and September, on the right bank of the 

 Thames for about three quarters of a mile above 

 Teddington Lock. T - The plants grow close to the 

 water's edge and are not readily observed from the 

 towing-path, as they are for the most part hidden 

 by plants of much larger growth. Other interest- 

 ing species, for instance, Cichoriuvi intybus, Spircea 

 ulmaria, Lysimachia vulgaris and Acorns calamus, as 

 well as many commoner species, may be found 

 along the same reach. — A. 0. Ron-den, 33, Richmond 

 Road, Kingston-on-Thames ; May ijth, 1895. 



Pellia epiphylla. — Quantities of this interest- 

 ing member of the Hepaticse grow in a ditch on the 

 borders of Hampstead Heath and are now in full 

 fruit. I have never previously seen them so prolific 

 as they are this year. It is strange that the study 

 of this order is not more taken up by microscopists 

 than appears to be the case, as it has very many 

 points of interest, and examination is not difficult. 

 About two years ago, there was a spot quite close 

 to the Heath where Marchantia polymorpka covered 

 the ground with its fronds, and freely produced its 

 peculiar receptacles, but the spot is now, alas, given 

 up to bricks and asphalte. Notwithstanding the 

 • • preservation ' ' of open spaces these Fe ra nature, 

 like their animal relations, always seem to retire 

 before advancing civilization. — /. Burton, 9, Aga- 

 memnon Road, West Hampstead ; April 16th, 1895. 



Shrubs killed by Frost. — The cold of last 

 winter seems to have been extremely fatal to gorse, 

 Ulex eurqpaus, in many places, as mentioned in your 

 columns last month (ante page 10S). In May, 1893, 

 the East Hill. Hastings, was one mass of flowers. 

 For quite a distance round, the blaze of gold was 

 conspicuous and the air heavy with the scent. This 

 3,-ear on a visit about the same time, instead of the 

 wealth of golden blossom, I found the gorse nearly 

 all dead and withered ; here and there were a few- 

 straggling blossoms, and that was all. Fortunately 

 in many cases, young shoots were just appearing at 

 the base of the old woody stems. On the journey 

 home, along the South-Eastern Railway embank- 

 ments, the same thing was noticed. The gorse on 

 the West Heath, Hampstead, too, has suffered 

 greatly, much of it being killed ; and on a common 

 a few miles beyond, near Northwood, a similar state 

 of things exist, although in these latter situations 

 the plants were sheltered considerably. In all 

 these instances it was noticeable that the broom 

 Sarothamnr.s was scarcely if at all injured, and yet 

 from its more succulent and less woody growth one 

 would have expected it to be more tender than Ulex. 

 I fear it will take several years for the gorse to 

 recover its former size and beauty. — Jas. Burton, 

 June, 1895. 



