55© BOTANICAL GAZETTE [December 



Germination of teleutospores. — In order to throw some light on the 

 parallelism between the time period during which teleutospores are capable of 

 germination and that during which their host plants can be infected, Dietel 20 

 has, in a general way, studied some of the factors influencing the germination 

 of teleutospores of Melampsora. Early in March the teleutospores of Melamp- 

 sora Larici-Caprearum Kleb. germinate in about three days when brought into 

 a higher temperature. The time required for germination decreases as the 

 season progresses. Whether the shortening of the period required for germina- 

 tion was due to temperature changes or to a kind of after-ripeniijg of the spores 

 independent of the temperature was not determined. Temporary drying 

 hastened germination. "Temporary freezing did not retard the process. Strong 

 light delayed germination. Germination takes place at temperatures as low 

 as 6° C, and only in the neighborhood of this low point was any influence of 

 temperature observed. Experiments with M. Tremulae seemed to indicate 

 that germination in this form is less influenced by drying than in M. Larici- 

 Caprearum. Germination takes place at temperatures of 6°-io° C, but pro- 

 ceeds more rapidly at i5°-2o°C. — H. Hasselbring. 



Seedling structure inLeguminosae. — Compton 21 has made a notable con- 

 tribution to our knowledge of seedling structure. He has examined 201 species 

 of Leguminosae, ranging through all the regions of that vast family. The 

 three parts of the paper present the detailed descriptions, the summarized 

 information, and the general discussion. Under the last head the following 

 topics are considered: the nature of the hypocotyl, hypogeal and epigeal 

 germination, the epicotyl in the Vicieae, the level of the transition, the level 

 of transition and the mature habit, the level of transition and phylogeny, the 



ymmetry 



triarchy, other types of symmetry 



ships of the types of symmetry, the size of the seedling, the primitive habit. 

 It is obvious that in so extensive a work no outline of the results can be given, 

 and we commend those interested to the 14 conclusions stated by the author. 

 The closing sentence is significant: "To a limited extent, therefore, characters 

 of seedling structure may be of diagnostic value; but it is exceedingly risky to 

 apply them to solve the broader problems of phylogeny."— J. M. C. 



tarred roads on vegetation.— With 



roads 



in public parks, the question of injury to plants by these substances becomes 



importance. While : 

 amazed bv the fumes 



Keimungsbedingung 



Uredineen. Centralbl. Bakt. II. 31:95-106. 1911. 



21 Compton, R. H., An investigation of the seed 

 Linn. Soc. Jour. Bot. 41:1-122. ph. i-g. 1912. 



*r 



structure in the Leguminosae 



