1915] CURRENT LITERATURE 263 
plants were inhabitants of swamps, and it is the author’s belief that the toxic 
theory, which he has done so much to develop, explains these ancient xero- 
phytic structures as well as it does the xerophytic structures of modern bog 
plants.—H. C. Cow es. 
Seedling anatomy.—Miss THomas” has added a large body of facts to 
our knowledge of seedling anatomy, having investigated 150 species belonging 
to Ranales, Rhoeadales, and Rosales, about half of them belonging to Ranales. 
She has reached some interesting conclusions as to the phylogenetic relations 
of the various anatomical conditions, and is inclined to believe that seedling 
anatomy may be of service in indicating relationships, in spite of the recent 
tendency to discount it. It would be of interest if Miss Tuomas should ‘‘sum- 
marize or analyze” the results obtained thus far, and give us a profitable 
perspective.—J. M. C. 
Scinaia.—Sercuet1 has studied the species of red algae which have 
usually passed for Scinaia. As a result he has broken up what seems to be a 
plexus of forms. After a description of the morphology of the group, the 
taxonomic presentation includes Scinaia, with 11 species, 5 of which are new; 
Gloiophloea, with 7 species, 4 of which are new; and Pseudoscinaia, a new genus 
with two species. The discussion of geographical distribution of this group 
of forms is particularly suggestive, a subject to which the author has been giv- 
ing much attention.—J. M. C. 
Mutation in Egyptian cotton.— KEARNEY” has contributed to the literature 
of mutation by describing the behavior of Egyptian cotton, which exhibits the 
tendency characterizing Oenothera Lamarckiana, new characters appearing at 
different times and in different places. The origin of this cotton is obscure, but 
it seems certain that the varieties now grown are of mixed ancestry. If this 
be true, it would confirm the view that the renee to produce mutants is 
a result of remote or complex hybridization.—J. M. C. 
Elementary species of Onagra.—BARTLETT® has published 12 new ele- 
mentary species of the subgenus Onagra, 5 of them belonging to the aggregate 
called O. biennis in our manuals, 2 of them being allies of O. parviflora, and the 
remaining 5 being included in the recent descriptions of O. muricata, which in 
Tuomas, E. N., Seedling ae of — Rhoeadales, and Rosales. Ann. 
Botany 28: ox 733% pls. 50, $1. Sigs. 4 
* SETCHELL, W. A., The Scinaia Ses Univ. Calif. Publ. Bot. 6:79-152. 
pls. 10-16. 1914 
* KEARNEY Taowas ., Mutation in Egyptian cotton. Jour. Agric. Research 
2:287-302. pls. 17-25. 19 
*3 BARTLETT, fe io oo elementary species of Onagra. Cybele Columbiana 
—56. pls. 1-5. 
