2SO 



SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



BOTANY** 



Albinism in Flowers. — Mr. A. E. Burr at page 

 203 ante asks if any reason has been, or can be, 

 assigned for albinism ? It is well known that the 

 pigments of flowers are all formed on the spot 

 wherein they occur. Hence, if it happens that a 

 flower normally red, blue or yellow is found now 

 and again white, the presumption is that the 

 chromogen of the particular tint has not been 

 formed, or it has been prevented by external or 

 internal circumstances from developing in the 

 ordinary way. Where the flower is usually coloured, 

 then albinism is a symptom of a sickly state, that 

 is, there is a deficiency of the chromogen. Where, 

 on the other hand, the flower is normally white, 

 then the pallor is caused in most cases, I believe, 

 by habitat ; for example, the flowers of meadow- 

 sweet ought really to be red, and I know of no 

 reason why they should not be so, other than 

 that they never become sufficiently dry. The 

 reason why albinism occurs so frequently in 

 flowers with red or blue in their colour and not 

 in yellow, is that the red and blue are the result 

 of liquids contained in the cells, while most of 

 the yellow are due to insoluble granules closely 

 united with a protoplasmic stroma. Hence the 

 latter colour is more directly dependent on the 

 vitality of the floral organ, more likely to be 

 usually produced, and less liable to fade or be 

 dissolved away. Thus it follows that albino red 

 or blue petals may be all alive, though sickly by 

 ill-nourishment. On the other hand, albino yellow 

 petals must be considered as wholly or partially 

 defunct. With regard to the phenomenon of 

 double flowers, it is no doubt caused by what 

 may be termed a partial demise of the special 

 living activity of the reproductive organs. In 

 some cases it may be due to over-feeding ; but 

 in most instances it seems to be brought about 

 by a deficiency of nutriment acting on a vital 

 part predisposed to degradation. — (Dr.) P. Q. 

 Keegan, Patterdale, Westmorland. 



Butcher's Broom. —Is not the information given 

 in the Floras concerning Rnsais aculeatus defective 

 and possibly erroneous ? The time of flowering 

 is given in the "Student's Flora" as February- 

 April, and in Babington's " Manual " as the iii. iv. 

 months. I am inclined to think the flowering time 

 extends over a much greater period than the 

 spring. During the present year I have found it 

 in bloom from March to November. I am told 

 it can usually be found in flower in Epping 

 Forest during November. I saw it there, and also 

 near West Wickham, in flower last month. Another 

 matter on which further information seems desir- 

 able is to what extent is fruit produced ? It is my 

 experience that the production of berries is rare. 

 Twice during the past year I came across the 

 butcher's broom fruiting. The first occasion was 

 near Arundel, during May, in a locality where the 

 plant is exceedingly abundant. Here, after careful 

 search, only two green berries, about the size of 

 peas, were found. At the same time both male 

 and female flowers were plentiful. Near West 



Wickham, where last month the butcher's broom 

 was flowering and fruiting, one clump bore seven 

 berries, and two others five berries each. Growing 

 amid the dead bracken on a sloping hillside, under 

 the spread of old oak trees, the evergreen butcher's 

 broom, with its large scarlet berries, stood out very 

 effectively among the prevailing brown of its sur- 

 roundings. The size of the berry is given in the 

 " Student's Flora " as one-third inch diameter, but 

 it appears to reach a greater size than this. One 

 that I brought away from West Wickham being 

 five-eighths of an inch in its longest diameter. In 

 appearance and shape the berries are very much 

 like cherries. — C. E. Britton, 35, Dugdale Street, 

 Cambevwell ; i3f/; December, 1898. 



Irish Fungi.— In the "Irish Naturalist" for 

 December, there is an important list of 160- 

 additions to Mr. Greenwood Pirn's " Fungi of the 

 Counties of Dublin and Wicklow." It is com- 

 piled by Mr. Carleton Rea, Hon. Sec. British 

 Mycological Society. It arises out of the visit of 

 that society last summer to Dublin. 



Late Flowering Plants. — In the grounds 

 attached to the Leicester Lunatic Asylum over a 

 hundred species of hardy plants were still in bloom 

 on November 16th, and specimens of the fresh 

 flowers were exhibited by Dr. Finch at the meeting 

 of the Biological Section of the Literary and 

 Philosophical Society. The unusually mild and 

 sunny season should have thoroughly ripened the 

 new wood of all fruit trees, so that a prolific yield 

 of fruit may be anticipated next year, or rather of 

 fruit blossom ; for while the bloom depends 

 largely on the ripening of the wood, the fruit is 

 very much at the mercy of spring frosts, biting 

 winds, and insect ravages. — F. T. Mott, Leicester. 



Fungi and the late Drought. — The effect of 

 drought on the growth of the larger fungi has 

 been very evident during the past autumn. The 

 early autumnal drought succeeding a waterless 

 summer seemed in this neighbourhood to have 

 quite a lethargic effect upon fungoid grow^tru 

 October was really gone before we noticed signs 

 of the many Agaricini, Boleti and other fungi 

 associated with particular spots in this neighbour- 

 hood. One of the most brilliant and dangerous,. 

 Agaricus muscarius, has been scarce when compared 

 with other years, whilst such species as A. pan- 

 therinus. A. rachodes, and A. procerus have been 

 entirely absent. Another missing plant has been 

 Boletus edulis ; this on one particular place has 

 grown for the previous nine years without fail. 

 Other Polyporei, as Doedalea, Polyporus and Trametes* 

 do not show any falling off from the drought ; as 

 these are epiphytal in their growth, this is of 

 course only natural. Amongst other terrestrial 

 fungi that have suffered, Hydnum, Clavaria and 

 Cantharelhts may be mentioned, Clavaria especially 

 has been most conspicuous by its absence. It 

 would be interesting to note if the same effect has 

 been noticed in other localities. We are on th-e 

 London clay here, and one would suppose it suffi- 

 ciently retentive to prevent the mycelium being 

 affected to such a degree as to hinder the formation 

 of the spore-bearing part of the fungus. Probably 

 the cause is due to the great drain on the soil by 

 tree roots, so that little or no moisture could be 

 obtained by the mycelium. This I am inclined to- 

 think is partly the reason, since meadow fungi, 

 such as the smaller Coprini, some of the genus 

 Hygrophorus and meadow-loving Agaricini, have 

 been up to the average. — John W. Odell, Grove 

 Farm, Stanmcre, Middlesex. 



