Ig1t] CURRENT LITERATURE 163 
two new species, namely Ascobolus xylophilus and Godronia Betheli—D. R. 
SUMSTINE (ibid. 45-56. pls. 37-39) under the title of “Studies in North Ameri- 
can Hyphomycetes I” presents a taxonomic treatment of Rhinotrichum and 
Oliptrichum, recognizing for the former 13 species, of which 3 are new to 
science.—F. ISSEN (Broteria, Ser. Bot. 9:121-147. pls. 5-9. 1910) in an 
article entitled ‘‘Hypocreaceae Riograndensis” has published 15 new species. 
The same author (Beih. Bot. Centralbl. 2'77:384-411. 1910) under the title 
“Fungi Riograndensis’’ lists about 150 species from southern Brazil, 10 of 
which are new to science. One new genus (Creosphaeria) is characterized and 
is said to be intermediate between Rosellinia and Hypoxylon.—I. TiwEestRoM 
(Am. Mid. Nat. 1:165-171. pl. rz. 1910) has published 3 new species of 
Aquilegia from western United States and gives a synopsis of 10 recognized 
species.—I. URBAN (Ber. Deutsch. Bot. Gesell. 28:515-523. pl. 15. 1911) has 
published a new species of Loasa (L. Plumeri) and a new monotypic genus 
(Fuertesia) of the Loasaceae from Sto. Domingo.—W. WerINGART (Monats 
261. 1910) under the title “Bolivian Mosses, Part II,” has described 18 new 
species. The same author (Bull. Torr. Bot. Club 38:33-36. torr) records two 
new species of mosses from Panama.—N. N. WoronIcHIN (Bull. Jard. Imp. 
Bot. St. Petersb. 11:8-19. 1911) records a list of fungi collected in south- 
eastern Russia, and includes a new ascomycetous genus Saige parasitic 
on the leaves of Caragana frutex Koch—J. M. GREENM 
The number of chromosomes.—In 1909 STRASBURGER made a cytological 
study of the parthenogenetic Wikstroemia indica, and now he has succeeded 
in securing from the rather inaccessible Himalaya region material of the 
nearly related W. canescens, in which fertilization regularly occurs. From an 
investigation of W. canescens and a study, of the literature of forms with 
unexpectedly large numbers of chromosomes, some interesting conclusions 
are reached.%3 
High chromosome numbers can be shown to be the result of multiplica- 
tion of whole chromosomes, so that the organism becomes polyploid, with a 
diploid gametophyte and tetraploid sporophyte, instead of the usual haploid 
and diploid generations. Such increases in chromosome numbers must be 
referred to mitotic division: which does not get to the separation of the daughter 
chromosomes, or, if daughter nuclei are formed, they reunite. The increase 
in number comes usually from a longitudinal division, which gives like products, 
and it is probable that the phenomenon takes place in the fertilized but not 
yet divided egg. The increase in the number of chromosomes is accompanied 
by some increase in the size of the nucleus and protoplast. 
In the nuclei of sporophytes which are more than diploid, the homologous 
3 STRASBURGER, EpuARD, Chromosomenzahl. Flora 100:1-50. pl. 6. 1910. 
