i9i 7] CURRENT LITERATURE 335 



of cultures the algae present in the form of "resting spores/' protonema from 

 certain soils began to develop. In these soils the protonema had persisted in 

 the dried condition for 46, 48, and 49 years. A description is given of the 

 appearance of the cells, which seemed to be in vigorous condition. Moss spores 

 contain chlorophyll and are usually short-lived. "Hence the power to produce 

 a resting protonema filament which is able to resume growth, even after half 

 a century, is a great asset to the plant in preventing its extinction through 

 adverse climatic conditions."— J. M. C. 



Anatomy of Drimys. — The genus Drimys (Magnoliaceae), belonging to 

 the Southern Hemisphere, is very interesting on account of the absence of 

 vessels. Jeffrey and Cole 32 have investigated its wound reactions from 

 material obtained from New Zealand and Java, and also from material at Kew. 

 As a result of injury, the roots develop peculiar tracheary structures, which are 

 regarded as a "reversionary return of vessels" because the markings of the 

 lateral walls resemble those found in the vessels of the Magnoliaceae. They 

 are clearly distinct from ordinary tracheids, but lack the perforations of normal 

 vessels. The authors conclude that these traumatic structures are to be inter- 

 preted as a clear indication of the former presence of vessels in Drimys. — 

 J. M. C. 



A cedar swamp on Long Island, — A swamp on the southern shore of Long 

 Island, New York, about one mile long and half as wide, is, according to 

 Taylor, 33 of special interest because (1) it is probably the most northerly grove 

 of Chamaecyparis thy aides on the coastal plain of anything like that size; (2) the 

 character of the undergrowth, which includes 77 per cent of species northern 

 in character; and (3) it affords evidence of coastal subsidence in the transition 

 between the swamp and the open salt marsh and in the number of dead and 

 dying trees. This evidence is all the more convincing because of the remoteness 

 of any barrier beach or other possible regulator of exceptional tides, a possible 

 alternative to recent subsidence. — Geo. D. Fuller. 



Flora of Isle Royale, Michigan. — Cooper 3 * has supplemented his excellent 

 ecological analysis of the vegetation of Isle Royale 3 * by a catalogue of its 

 vascular plants. As a list of the mosses of the same island was previously 



EFFREY 



genus Drimys. Ann. Botany 30:359-368. pL 7. 1916. 



33 Taylor, Xormax, A white cedar swamp at Merrick, Long Island, and its sig- 

 nificance. Mem. NX Bot. Card. 6:79-88. 1916. 



*< Cooper, W. S., A catalogue of the flora of Isle Royale, Lake Superior, Michigan. 

 Acad. Sci. Report 16:109-131. 1914. 



* , The climax fore>ts of Isle Royale. Bot. Gaz. |S:*~44* "5-Ho, 189- 



2 35- 1913- 



