SCIENCE-GOSSIP 



93 



BOTTINY* 



The Food of Fungi. — -There appears to be no 

 end to the queer substances upon which fungi will 

 grow. M. Heine records in the " Bulletin of the 

 Societe Mycologique de France," a species of Asper- 

 gillus whose mycelium was growing abundantly in 

 a solution of sulphate of quinine. 



Leguminous Trees at Kew.— The collection 

 of hardy ligneous leguminosae near the Pagoda at 

 Kew was, during the past winter, entirely re- 

 arranged, the plants being more conveniently 

 grouped in smaller beds, some beds being filled 

 with a single species. The collection, which is a 

 large one, is expected shortly to prove of con- 

 siderable interest not only to botanists and 

 horticulturists, but also to the general sightseeing 

 visitor. 



The Age of a Sequoia. — A section through 

 the trunk of a Sequoia gigantca, from California, has 

 been added to the Botanical Department of the 

 Natural History Museum at South Kensington. 

 Its diameter is over fifteen feet. The tree was cut 

 down whilst still vigorous a couple of years ago, 

 and Mr. Carruthers, who has carefully counted the 

 rings of annual growth, finds it had then attained 

 the age of 1,330 years. When Mr. Carruthers 

 visited these Californian giants at home ten years 

 ago, he found trees in various stages of growth, 

 and he does not fear their early extinction. 



Agaricus personatus in Spring. — On the 15th 

 of May I found a single specimen of this handsome 

 autumnal fungus. It was on the Downs, near 

 Mickleham, in Surrey, and appeared to have been 

 fully-grown for several days. The characteristic 

 blue colouring was well developed. Whether this 

 is another instance of the abnormally early season 

 of this year, or a case of laying over from last 

 autumn, is hard to judge. In the same locality 

 Agaricus gambosus — the St. George's mushroom — 

 was common, and in excellent order for cooking. 

 The two forms of our common mushroom, A . cam- 

 pestris and A . avvensis, frequently occurred in the 

 same district, some of the latter extending to over 

 six inches in diameter of the pileus. It is remark- 

 ably early for these species. — John T . Cavrington. 



Fungus Transitions. — In April, 1893, I found a 

 plant of the common wood anemone, the leaves of 

 which were infested with the parasitic fungus, 

 .Eiidiitni leucospermum, unmistakable in everyway. 

 I marked the exact situation in order to return to the 

 same root this year. Early in April, 1S94, the leaves 

 from that same root-stock have developed a black 

 spored fungus which is Puccinia fusca. May I ask 

 those interested in the study of micro-fungi whether 

 these two apparently different generic forms are in 

 reality alternating phases in one organism, or not. 

 I believe opinion is divided on the subject, but 

 without actual proof from the direct cultivation of 

 spores, I am almost driven to the conclusion that 

 both the white and black spored forms mentioned 

 are associated in cyclic life. — C. Parkinson. 16, The 

 Tything, Worcester • April, 1S94. 



Abnormal Blackthorn. — Last month a speci- 

 men of blackthorn (Rrunus communis) was brought 

 me, whose flowers had two or three styles each, 

 and ten or more petals. They were very symme- 

 trical, the petals in one whorl only. Nearly all the 

 flowers on a large branch were so duplicated. — 

 [Miss] M. E. Pope, Ramsgate ; May 2nd, 1894. 

 .Recent Botanical Works. — We observe from 

 " Naturae Novitate's " the recent publication in 

 Paris of the twelfth volume of Baillon's " Histoire 

 des Plants." Volume I. was issued as far back 

 as 1866, and the intervening sections of the work 

 at intervals. The present instalment includes the 

 Natural Orders, Coniferse, Gnetacea?, Cycadaceae, 

 Alismacea~\ Iridaceae, Typhacese, Najadaceae, 

 Centrolepidacese, Graminse, Cyperacae, Restiacae, 

 Eriocaulaceae, Liliacea.'. It contains 554 figures. 

 The Monograph on Liliaceae, with 180 figures, is 

 also issued as a separate work. 



Botanical Monstrosities. — In 1893, 1 observed 

 the following abnormal growths of native plants : 

 Cardamine pratensis, fasciated stem appearing like 

 two joined in one with flower buds at the top ; 

 Medicago lupulina, with the pedicels developed so as 

 to appear quite like an umbel ; Garden Pansy, 

 fasciated, two stems fused together with two 

 perfect flowers at apex ; Chrysanthemum leucanthemum, 

 similar aberration ; Pier is hieracoides, two monster 

 fasciated stems about one inch wide, with numerous 

 side shoots; Scabiosa arvensis and S. succisa, one 

 pure white specimen of each. — Edwin E. Turner, 

 Coggeshall, Essex ; April, 1894. 



Saltwort as a Pest. — Salsola kali, the Salt- 

 wort, which is common on our own sandy shores 

 and inhabits saline districts in the greater part of 

 the globe, has a variety tragus in the south-east of 

 Europe, which has been introduced by some means 

 into the Western States of North America. Here 

 it flourishes and reproduces itself from seed with 

 such astonishing prolificness that it threatens to 

 become one of the very worst weeds with which 

 farmers have had to contend. It had become 

 widely established before they had realised its true 

 character. It not merely chokes the crops, but 

 its sharp spine-like leaves make it very injurious 

 both to animals and man. The farmers call it 

 Russian thistle. Last year it was so troublesome 

 that in South Dakota alone the damage inflicted by 

 this plant was estimated at several millions of 

 dollars, and the local authorities despair of 

 effectively combating the evil without special help 

 from the central government. 



Arabis stricta, Huds. — I forward specimens of 

 a Crucifer for identification. It was collected on 

 the ruins of an ancient fortification or camp on the 

 top of a fairly high hill in this district on May 2nd. 

 I had noticed its presence previously, but it had 

 not come to full flower. I have been led to 

 consider it to be Arabis stricta, but knowing the 

 rarity and narrow localization of the species, I fear 

 my identification is faulty. I have never hitherto 

 had an opportunity of examining A. stricta. Could 

 you also give me any information as to the distri- 

 bution of Erysimum orientate? I have found a 

 couple of specimens here. — D. T. Gwynne Vaughan, 

 Howey Hall, Llandrindod, Radnorshire. 



5four crucifer appears to be, without doubt, 

 Arabis stricta, Huds. Any records of so rare a 

 plant are particularly interesting. Erysimum 

 1 <rie 11 talc is an introduced plant which has been 

 found chiefly in the Eastern Counties. It is not 

 now admitted into the " London Catalogue." — 

 Eds. S.G.] 



