1915] CURRENT LITERATURE 73 
neglected.”” Textbooks define inflorescences, but there has been no serious 
attempt to relate them from the standpoint of their evolution. Some of the 
conclusions from his comparative studies are as follows: flowers were originally 
borne on the plant singly, each terminal to a leafy shoot; from such a shoot, 
bearing foliage leaves-below and ending in a single terminal flower, all inflores- 
cences, as well as the solitary axillary flower, have probably arisen; two main 
classes of flower clusters are distinguished, which are ner San aeanel and 
“intercalary,” the majority of infl to the former class, which 
includes the long recognized cymose and racemose e types. The author carries 
these preliminary propositions forward into details as to how the various 
clusters have arisen. For example, the first flower cluster to arise from the 
solitary terminal flower is said to have been cymose in character. From this 
start various tendencies are traced, and among the results it follows that 
racemose inflorescences have proceeded from cymose ones, the panicle being 
the intermediate stage. In regard to the origin of solitary axillary flowers, 
the author proposes at least three different ways, all capable of being traced 
back to the solitary terminal flower. Throughout the presentation the genera 
showing the various stages in this evolution are cited.—J. M. C. 
Ant plants.—Escuericn® adds further evidence against the now generally 
discredited theory of myrmecophily, through a study of Humboldtia laurifolia, 
one of SCHIMPER’s typical myrmecophilous plants. Not only do the ants of 
H. oe offer it no protection, but they actually bring it harm by attracting 
peckers. EscHERICH notes that ants collect and store the bulbs of 
Cae bulbosus, and thus may be of significance in the dispersal of the species. 
MicxE* has carried on some interesting investigations on, Myrmecodia 
tuberosa, one of the most famous of all “myrmecophilous” plants. It appears 
that the internal walls of the hollow tuber of this plant are in part smooth and 
yellow and in part warty and black. In the black warty areas the ants. (Irido- 
myrmex Myrmecodiae) deposit their a whereas they deposit their 
€ggs in the smooth areas. The bla patches owe their color to luxuriant 
growths of fungi, which doubtless si nourishment from the ant excrements. 
Possibly the ants use the fungi (which may be Cladosporium or Cladotrichum) 
48 a source of food, since tufts of mycelia were frequently seen to be shaved off. 
The warty tracts develop independently of either ants or fungi and are pretty 
clearly shown to be organs of water absorption. MUIEHE believes that the 
Organization of these tubers was related originally to water absorption and 
accumulation, the ant ‘Felation being secondary and incidenta].—H. C. Cow Les. 
@ attain , Zwei Beitrige zum Kapitel “Ameisen und Pflanzen.” Biol. 
Centralbl. 31: se ‘hes: 2. IQII 
» Meng, H. /aitaialaicaach iiber die javanische M —— In Javanische 
Studien. jen. Abhandl. K K6nigl. Sachs. Gesells. Wiss. 32:312-361. 1 
———, Uber die javanische Myrmecodia und die peuikiae: eu thren Ameieen. 
Biol. Centralbl, 31:733-738. I9g1I. 
