﻿BOTANICAL GAZETTE 



on the other hand, incomplete ovulate flowers, which are very small and always 

 concealed by the staminate flowers, occur in the staminate inflorescence. It 

 is suggested, therefore, that G. scandens represents a reduction stage of ovulate 



inflorescence being reached in G. africanum and G. Buchhohianum. .Naturally 

 this situation suggests that the present monosporangiate inflorescence of Gnetum 

 has been derived from a bisporangiate inflorescence. It is suggested further 

 that the ovulate inflorescence was probably derived "by the arrest of the nodal 

 meristem by which the later formed staminate flowers are produced." Since 



barren tip of the axis, it is suggested that the primitive inflorescence consisted 

 of "an axis bearing a cupule, a ring of male flowers, and a terminal female 

 flower or a group of which one is terminal," which is certainly suggestive of the 

 strobilus of the Bennettitales. Further evidence is presented to indicate that 

 the staminate flower, commonly thought of as a reduced staminate strobilus 

 ("anthostrobilus"), probably has no such relationship.— J. M. C. 



Plant pathology in the tropics— Those who have followed this branch 

 of botany must be impressed by the large amount of work accomplished in the 

 past five years. In an interesting paper by Ashby" we find a discussion of 

 (i) bud diseases of the coconut, in which the author expresses the opinion that 

 the bud rot attributed by Johnson (U.S. Bur. PI. Ind. Bull. 228) to Bacillus 

 coli may be due also to other species of bacteria; other species found associated 

 with the bud rot were connected to the type groups B. carotovous, B. aerogenes, 

 and B. typhi; (2) a bud decay of the coconut caused by Thiclaviopsis paradoxa, 

 which is also the cause of diseases of bananas, sugar cane, pineapple, and stem 

 of the coconut; (3) another bud decay apparently caused by a species of Phy- 

 tophthora; (4) several leaf diseases due to Diplodia epicocos Cooke, Pestalozzia 

 palmarum Cooke, and other fungi; (5) several other fungous diseases of the 

 root and stem of the coconut; (6) diseases of the cocoa; (7) diseases of the 

 banana; (8) diseases of the orange. The author gives good descriptions of 

 the diseases and of the organisms. 



The Department of Agriculture of Jamaica has issued a bulletin on 



spread of plant diseases, and orders concerning the " Panama disease " or " wilt " 

 of the banana. This is followed by a description of the disease which causes 

 a breaking down of the leaves, with or without previous yellowing, beginning 

 with the oldest. The trunk is sometimes split and the fruit ripens prematurely 

 and is dry, pithy, and without flavor. Internally will be found many dark 

 red streaks extending from the base upward through stems and leaves. This 

 condition is followed by a stinking soft rot. The disease is attributed to a 

 Fusarium, very similar in morphology and habit to F. vasinfectum Atk. It is 

 " Ashby, S. F., Notes on diseases of cultivated crops observed in 1913-1914- 

 Bull. 8, Dept. Agric. 2:299-327- 19*5- 



