1912] CURRENT LITERATURE 357 
bodies, but other cells, instead of possessing many diffused grains of chlorophyll, 
have a so-called chloroplast, a large flattened plate of coloring matter which 
incloses the nucleus.”’? Of Marchantia we read: ‘‘ Below and between each pair 
of rays the disk bears a perichaetium, i.e., the wrapper or involucre of a sporo- 
cells soapy by elaters. The archegone itself thus becomes the spore 
case. Thes rgans are variously known as disks, receptacles, or inflores- 
ines? ean “‘On the upper surface of the thallus of Pellia may be seen, in 
both spring and autumn, small dots on either side of the midrib. These are 
very minute globular bodies attached by a slight thread to the subadjacent 
tissue. These bodies are known as antheridia or antherids, and may be com- 
pared with the stamens of flowering plants. From each antherid comes at 
maturity a mass of small spiral bodies, known as antherozoids (or spermato- 
zoids), which may be compared with and play the part of the pollen of a flower- 
ing plant.’ Using Pellia epiphylla as an example, we find that “if we start 
with a spore, we shall find that it produces a thallus on which grow the arche- 
gones and the antherids, which by their union produce a fertilized ovum.” 
There are many more such statements in the little book.—W. J. G. Lanp. 
NOTES FOR STUDENTS 
Current taxonomic literature—S. ALEXANDER (Rep. Mich. Acad. Sci. 
13:191-198. 1911) records the results of a continued study of the peren- 
nial species of Helianthus. The author finds distinguishing characters in the 
underground parts of sunflowers and incorporates these characters in a tabular 
synopsis of the Michigan species.—G. BEAUVERD (Bull. Soc. Bot. Genéve II. 
3253-260. 1911) under the title “Contribution a l’étude des Composées”’ has 
proposed a new genus heuer founded on an Austrian species, Anien- 
naria uniceps F. v. Miiller—O. Beccarti (Philip. Journ. Sci. Bot. 6: 229, 230. 
1911) gives a list of plants of the aie of Polillo, describing a new species of 
Livistona (L. Robinsoniana) and two new varieties in the genus Areca.— 
E. P. BicKNELL (Bull. Torr. Bot. Club 38:447-460. 1911) in an eighth article 
n “The ferns and flowering plants of Nantucket’? records further note- 
worthy plants and characterizes a new species of Amelanchier.—G. BITTER (Bot. 
Jahrb. 45: 564-656. pls. 4-ro. 1911) has published a revision of the South 
American genus Polylepis, recognizing 33 species, 14 of which are new to science; 
the group has its greatest specific diversity in the north Andean region.—N. E. 
Brown (Bot. Mag. f. 8402. 1911) describes and illustrates a new species of 
Cladium (C. pubescens) from Peru.—E. B. CopELAND (Leafl. Phil. Bot. 4: 1149- 
1152. 1911) describes 6 new species of ferns from the Philippine Islands.— 
S. T. Dunn (Kew Bull. 1911: 362-364) has published a new genus (Osiryo- 
derris) of the Leguminosae from tropical west Africa. The same author 
(Philip. Journ. Sci. Bot. 6:315-317. 1911) gives a synopsis of the Philippine 
representatives of the genus Milletia, recognizing 11 species of which 3 are new to 
