1912] CURRENT LITERATURE 275 
the same species as the Greenland specimens called Ophioglossum granulatum. 
This is another illustration of the great caution necessary in using the deter- 
minations of impressions or casts as the basis of conclusions in reference to the 
history of a group.—J. M. C 
Classification of plants.—Professor BEssEy%s has issued a second edi- 
tion of his Outlines of plant phyla, the first having been noted in Bor. Gaz. 
1:317. 1911, where it was stated that plants were grouped into 14 coordinate 
phyla, and their names were given. The present edition contains an interest- 
ing census, the enumeration of species, in terms of the four conventional 
groups, elon as follows: thallophytes 79,450 (64,000 of which are fungi); 
bryophytes 16,000; pteridophytes 4524; spermatophytes 133,040 (only 540 of 
which are gymnosperms). The total is 233,614 species, distributed among 
648 families —J. M 
Vestigial axillary strands of Trichomanes.—It has been known for 
some time that vestigial axillary strands occur among the Hymenophyllaceae, 
in addition to the general occurrence of axillary branches. Miss CHAMBERS* 
has examined material of Trichomanes javanicum from the Fiji Islands and finds 
the axillary vestige ending in a conical mass of parenchyma, which suggests 
the last vestige of an axillary bud. The important fact is that comparable 
situations in Helminthostachys and the Botryopterideae suggest that Botryop- 
terideae, Ophioglossaceae, and Hymenophyllaceae “are in one circle of 
affinity.” — 
Discomycetes of Iowa.—SEAVERSs has brought together in very attrac- 
tive form the available information in reference to the discomycetous flora of 
Iowa. It is intended mainly as a guide to local students, and therefore is in 
manual form, with keys and full descriptions. There are presented 126 species 
and 56 genera. This average of approximately two species to a genus, 23 of 
the genera being represented by a single species and the largest one by only 11, 
indicates that the generic boundaries in the group are rather closely drawn 
about the species.—J. M. C 
Seeds of Bennettitales.—W1eLanp® has sectioned an unusually well 
preserved specimen of Cycadeoidea obtained recently from the Black Hills 
region (near Hermosa), and makes it the occasion for bringing the seed 
ss Bessey, Cuartes E., Outlines of plant phyla. 2d ed. pp. 20. Private publi- 
cation. 1911. 
s+ CHAMBERS, Heten S., The vestigial axillary strands of Trichomanes javanicum 
Bl. Ann. Botany 25:1037-1043. figs. 4. I9II. 
5s SEAVER, FRED J., Iowa Discomycetes. Bull. Lab, Hist. Univ. Iowa 62:41-131. 
pls. 16. 1911 : 
sé WreLanp, G. R., A study of some American fossil cycads. V. Further notes 
on seed structures. Amer. Jour. Sci. IV. 32:133-155- figs. 9. 1911. 
