364 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [APRIL 
of the atmosphere. Illuminated cultures of green seedlings in CO, free cham- 
bers gave much greater growth and increased dry weight if formaldehyde vapors 
were present than if they were not. It was necessary of course to protect the 
non-chlorophyll-bearing parts from contact with the vapors. Formaldehyde 
increases the reducing sugars in Phaseolus at the expense of starch deposit. 
This may account for the failure of starch to appear as a result of the syn- 
thesis of formaldehyde. These results, with the more telling experiments of 
SCHRYVER,” USHER and PRIESTLY,” and others, furnish strong evidence that 
formaldehyde is an intermediate product in photosynthesis.— WILLIAM 
CROCKER. 
Phosphorus content of oat grains.—Lrewonrewska ® finds that the 
phosphoric acid content of oat grains, measured both in absolute amount and 
in its ratio to the nitrogen, varies greatly with cultural conditions, involving 
variation in fertilizers and nature of the soil. The variation is mainly due to 
the inorganic and phytin phosphoric acid, aiid not to the protein and lecithin 
phosphoric acid. The author thinks that an excess in the soil leads to its storage 
in the inorganic and phytin forms. A variation in the nitrogen content of the 
grain is mainly due to the protein nitrogen. The author concludes that the 
phosphoric acid supply in the soil can be best judged by the ratio of inorganic 
and phytin phosphoric acid to protein nitrogen in the grain. The probabilities 
are that the conditions determining the proportion of absorption and form of 
storage of nitrogen and phosphorus compounds are much more complex than 
the author assumes.—WILLIAM CROCKER. 
A new genus of yeasts.—Napson and KonoKoTINE” have described 
a new genus (Guwilliermondia) of Saccharomycetes, in the culture of which they 
observed the pairing and fusing of unequal cells (“gametes”), resulting in a cell 
that became an “‘ascus” producing one spore (sometimes two spores). In the 
germination of the spore under usual conditions, cells with the ordinary 
budding habit were produced. The full account is in Russian and the brief 
summary in French.—J. M. C 
16 SCHRYVER, S. B., Photochemical haercigh of Acaursagitiets in green plants. 
Proc. Roy. Soc. Loudon B 82: 226-232. 1910; rev. OT. GAZ. 51: 470-471. Igtt. 
17 UsHER, F. S., and PRIEstty, I. y Proc. se Soc. London B 84: 101-112. 
IgIt. 
18 LEWONIEWSKA, S., Schwankungen in dem Gehalte der Pflanzensamen an 
einzelnen Piteuhideisuterechiidiann in ihrer areas von Vegetationsbedin- 
gen. Bull. Acad. Sci. Cracovie 1911: 85-9 
19 Napson, G. A., and Konoxorrne, A. G., Gui illiermondia, un nouveau genre de 
la famille des Saccharomycétes 4 copulation hétérogamique. Bull. Jard. Imp. Bot 
St. Pétersbourg 11:117-143. figs. 45. I91t. 
