376 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [October 



and these same fruit bodies were found to retain their vitality when dried, 

 kept in vacuo, and at a temperature of liquid air for three weeks. — J. M. C. 



Seedling anatomy. — In continuing his investigations of the seedling 

 anatomy of Sympetalae, Lee 10 has published an account of the Compositae, 

 having examined about 50 species, well distributed through the tribes. The 

 general conclusions are as follows: all seedlings are either diarch or tetrarch; 

 variations in vascular anatomy occur not only in nearly related species, but 

 in different individuals of the same species, the inference being that seedling 

 anatomy "is of no value in questions of affinity"; the evolution of the vascular 

 structures of seedlings is probably not an extremely slow process; tetrarchy 

 and diarchy have probably been " interchanged" several times during the 

 evolution of angiosperms; physiological factors are probably not sufficient to 

 account for all the structures found in seedlings. — J. M. C. 



The origin of Ascomycetes. — In a paper which reviews all the available 

 data, approximately 100 papers being cited, Dodge 11 discusses the relationships 

 of the red algae and the Ascomycetes. It is a very useful summary of our 

 knowledge of the reproductive structures of these two groups, as well as a 

 clearly presented argument in favor of the view that the Ascomycetes are a 

 monophyletic group and have been derived from the red algae. The repro- 

 ductive structures of the two groups are compared in detail, and the interesting 

 transitions shown by Collema and Ascobolus are described. — J. M. C. 



Flora of Panama.— Standley 12 has issued the first of a series of papers 

 preliminary to a flora of Panama. The present paper contains descriptions of 

 some 40 new species from tropical America, which are distributed among 18 

 genera belonging to the Cyperaceae, Leguminosae, Gentianaceae, and Rubia- 

 ceae. Two new generic names are proposed, namely Nothophlebia and Geo- 

 cardia (Geophila D. Don, not Berg.) of the Rubiaceae, and the following genera 

 have been revised: Sommera (5), Watsonamra (n), and Cobaea (18). J. M. 

 Greenman. 



Variation in Oenothera ovata. — Mrs. Brandegee 1 * has discovered that 

 this Calif ornian species of Oenothera has a remarkable range of variation. Ap- 

 parently it is a plexus of "elementary species" quite as numerous as have been 

 found in O. JLamarckiana and O. biennis. — J. M. C. 



10 Lee, E., Observations on the seedling anatomy of certain Sympetalae. II 

 Compositae. Ann. Botany 28:303-329. figs. 2. 19 14. 



11 Dodge, B. O., The morphological relationships of the Florideae and the Ascomy- 

 cetes. Bull. Torr. Bot. Club 41:157-202. figs. 13. 1914. 



12 Standley, Paul C, Studies of tropical American Phanerogams, no. 1. Contnb. 

 U.S. Nat. Herb. 17:427-458, pis. 24-31. 1914. 



m Braxdegee, Katharine L., Variation in Oenothera ovata. Univ. Calif. Publ. 

 Bot. 6:41-50. pis. 8, q. 19 14. 



