556 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [December 



Classification of plants. — A third edition of Professor Bessey's Outlines 

 of plant phyla has appeared. The previous editions were noted in this journal 

 (51:317. 1911; 53:275. 1912)* and the general features of the classification 

 given. In the new edition the 14 phyla remain the same, but the families have 

 increased from 648 to 652. The relation of the conventional four great groups 

 to this scheme may be indicated by the statement that the thallophytes are 

 broken up into 7 phyla, the bryophytes remain as a single phylum, the pteri- 

 dophytes become 3 phyla, and the spermatophytes 3. — J. M. C. 



Perithecium of Polystigma. — Blackman and Welsford 37 have investi- 

 gated the development of the perithecium of Polystigma, and have discovered 

 that while well marked ascogonia occur, they disorganize without producing 

 ascogenous hyphae, and that the spermatia are also functionless. It differs 

 from most of the Ascomycetes in which the normal sexual process is absent 

 by the fact that both sex organs are distinctly produced, but that both are 

 abortive. — J. M. C. 



Wound reactions in fern petioles. — Holden^ 8 induced wound reactions 

 in the petioles of 37 species of ferns, the wounds being thin superficial shavings 

 made with a scalpel in three regions: the curled apical portion, the region of 

 pinna insertion, and the region below pinna insertion. Various reactions wer e 

 obtained, which differ too much in details to be summarized in a review, but 

 all of which are interesting contributions to the subject of wound reactions 

 J. M. C. 



Mycorhiza of Asarum. — Schwartz 39 has studied the mycorhiza of A sarum 

 europaeum, finding it limited to the cortical region abutting on the steles of 

 young roots. Thick-walled swellings were found on some of the hyphae, 

 representing a resting stage. — J. M. C. 



Lateral archegonia in Pinus. — Saxton^ has made the very interesting 

 discovery of a female gametophyte of Pinus maritima which bears two lateral 

 groups of two archegonia each, and no terminal (micropylar) archegonia at 

 all.— J. M. C. 



37 Blackman, V. H., and Welsford, E. J., The development of the perithecium 

 of Polystigma ritbram D.C. Ann. Botany 26:761-767. pis. 70, 71. 1912. 



3 8 Holden, H. S., Some wound reactions in filicinean petioles. Ann. Botany 

 26:777-793. pis. 73, 74. fig. i. 1912. 



* 9 Schwartz, E. J., Observations on Asarum europaeum and its mycorhiza. Ann. 

 Botany 26:769-776. pi. 72. 1912. 



4° Saxton, W. T\, Note on an abnormal prothallus of Pinus maritima L. Ann. 

 Botany 26:943-945. fig. 1. 191 2. 



