74 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [JANUARY 
and the results have just been published by Cortins.?° It is distinct from all 
hitherto known types in its erect and one-ranked leaf blades, in the development 
of its “‘silks”’ while still within the leaf sheath, and in its peculiar endosperm. 
The first two of these unique characters insure pollination and prevent the drying- 
out of the silks, the pollen being blown against the erect leaf blades and accumulat- 
ing at their bases, and the silks pushing into these accumulations before they are 
exposed to the air. The endosperm is neither starchy nor horny, resembling the 
latter in location and hardness, but having the texture and optical pope 
of very hard wax, and hence the suggested name is ‘waxy endosperm.” The 
xenia characters in hybrids showed that colored aleurone is dominant to trans- 
parent, yellow endosperm to white, and horny endosperm to waxy. This Chinese 
corn also raises the question as to whether maize was known in China before the 
discovery of America. That it is of American origin does not seem to be open to 
doubt, but Chinese literature of the sixteenth century refers to its introduction and 
widespread use, and this specialized type may have developed in China.—J. M. C. 
Leaf structure of strand plants——HARSHBERGER?’ has studied the leaves 
of twenty plants from the sandy shores of New Jersey and eleven from its salt 
marshes, All exhibit xerophytic structures and almost without exception have 
thickly cutinized epidermis. Four of the strand plants and six of the salt marsh 
species are succulents, while nine from the strand and three from the salt marsh 
have epidermal hairs. The drawings will form convenient plates of reference 
for students interested in these plants. It is to be regretted that they are not 
on a larger scale and that more attention has not been given to the differentiation 
of chlorophyll-bearing and mechanical tissues. The same criticism will apply 
to a previous paper by the same author?® on the sand dune plants of Bermuda, 
which records observations for the leaves of seventeen plants. The author is 
confident that the various xerophytic leaf structures have been produced largely 
in response to intense illumination, exposure to strong winds, and in a few 
instances to the action of salt spray blown inland. He is inclined to over- 
emphasize the influence of light, and says ‘‘chlorenchyma is converted into two 
kinds of tissues, palisade and spongy pare si bee as a direct result of the 
unequal illumination of the leaf surfaces.”—Gro. D. FULLER. 
Ferments of fungi PrRINGSHEIM and ZEMPTEN?? have applied the Buchner 
method of extracting enzymes from yeast cells to the extraction of sugar-splitting 
26 Coins, G, N., A new Ope of Indian corn from China, Bull. 161, Bureau Pl. 
Ind., Depart. ane pp. 30. pls. 2. 1909. 
27 HARSHBERGER, JOHN W., < he a4 opie leaf structure of the strand plants 
of New Jersey. Proc. Amer. Phil. Soc. 48: 72-1 09. 
28 , The comparative leaf eres of the sand dune plants of Bermuda. 
Proc. Amer. Phil. Soc. 47: 97-110. pis. I 1908. 
HEIM, H., AND ZEMPTEN, G., Sane iiber die Polysaccharide Bice 
Fermente in ‘Phcoedation Hoppe-SEYLER’S Zeitschr. Physiol. Chemie 62: 307- 
385. 1909. 
