1912] PACE— PARNASSIA 



321 



In a recent number of Das Pflanzenreich on Droseraceae, Diels 

 (5) says, in discussing relationships : 



Die mehrfach den Droseraceen angeschlossene Gattung Parnassia wird 

 neuerdings nach dem Vorgang von Adamson, Endlicher, Lindley, und 

 Payer, allgemein ausgeschlossen nachdem Drude in seine grundlichen Erote- 

 rung der Frage (Linnaea 39:293. 1875) auf die gewichtigen Bedenken 

 practischer Natur' hingewiesen hatte, die einer tlberfuhrung von Parnassia zxi 

 den Droseraceen im Wege stehen. 



Engler (8), in a note in connection with the Sarraceniaceae, 

 concludes with these words : 



Die Droseraceae nahere sich dadurch in diagrammatische Beziehung 

 manchen Saxifragaceae, von denen Parnassia auch allgemein den Droseraceae 

 zugerechnet wurde. 



The following is a rather free translation of Eichinger's (6) 

 summary of the characters which differentiate Parnassia from 

 Droseraceae : 



1. Germination. — Parnassia shows normal germination; cotyledons do not 

 function as an absorbing apparatus. The Droseraceae have no primary root; 

 cotyledons have more or less the function of an absorbing apparatus. 



2. Leaf structure. — The nervature is different. Parnassia possesses a 

 typical leaf structure, in the epidermis tannin; the Droseraceae have no typical 

 assimilation tissue and often chlorophyll in the epidermis, and always more or 

 less modified glands. 



3- Flowers.— All species of Parnassia have staminodia; the Droseraceae 

 have not. 



tfruchtung. 



parently pollination).— It is apparently similar 

 nalogy to the Droseraceae, but has to Saxifi 



5. Androecium. — Parnassia possesses small simple pollen grains; all of the 

 Droseraceae have tetrads. 



6. Gynaecium. — Parnassia has stalked placentae, a very striking con- 

 ductive tissue, the nucellus is small-celled and soon vanishes, the embryo is 

 well formed and fills the almost endospermless seed. Drosera at least has flat 

 placentae without conductive tissue, characteristically differentiated nucellus, 

 and all of the Droseraceae have small, round, imperfect embryos and much 

 endosperm. 



Hallier (12) savR? 



isolated 



According to its peculiar habit, its low rosette of long-petioled oval leaves, its 

 one-flowered, long, almost leafless flower-stalk, and the lack of hairs, it evi 

 dently belongs not to the Saxifragaceae, but in Engler's order Sarraceniales, 

 which, through the frequent appearance of oval, long-petioled, fleshy leaf blades, 



