448 THE JOURNAL OF BOTANY 



The Report as usual contains a variety of interesting notes on 

 the specimens received and distributed, from which we extract a 

 few of those of more general interest. As usual, there are a 

 number of opinions about critical forms of Bubus (4 pages), Bosa 

 (4 pages), Hieracinm (5 pages) and other genera, but for these 

 reference must be made to the Report itself. 



The Editor and Distributor for 1907 is the Rev. H. J. Riddels- 

 dell, St. Michael's College, Llandaff. — Ed. Journ. Bot.] 



Tilia cordata Mill. Leaves from stump-shoots ; and fruit, 

 King's Wood, near Yatton, North Somerset, Sept. 19th, 1906. 

 When underwood is cut in the old limestone woods below Bristol 

 the stumps quickly produce an abundance of strong succulent 

 shoots. These, in the earlier years of their growth, whether they 

 be oak, hazel, aspen or lime, bear leaves of unusual size and 

 shape. In the case of the two last-mentioned trees the difference 

 in area, outline, and texture between these stump-shoot leaves and 

 ordinary foliage is so great that the former would hardly be recog- 

 nized if the conditions that produced them were not known. I 

 send herewith examples from T. cordata stumps in illustration. 

 Most of them are 5-7 in. in length and nearly as broad. They 

 several times exceed their petioles, in contradiction to one of the 

 main characters that distinguish the species. There is, moreover, 

 an exaggeration of toothing and of basal one-sidedness, besides the 

 attenuation into an acuminate point, which makes the leaf longer 

 than broad, whereas the length of a typical adult leaf is commonly 

 less than the breadth. This attenuation into a long point is also 

 well marked in the stump-shoot leaves of Populus tremula, which 

 make a still greater contrast with the suborbicular normal leaves 

 of that tree. I think one must assume that these are examples of 

 hypertrophy due to an excessive supply of water and food-material 

 under pressure. When a tree is coppiced the stump is so sur- 

 charged with sap that many adventitious buds form along the 

 vitally active cambium layer, and these buds, stimulated by the 

 concentrated nutriment available, develop into vigorous shoots 

 bearing abnormal leaves. As the shoots lengthen year by year 

 the hypertrophy diminishes until the bush once more attains full 

 stature, and it then bears only typical foliage. It has been said 

 that the small-leaved lime produces fruit but rarely, and a walk 

 through our woods might support that idea. The fact is, how- 

 ever, that this tree does not flower until of good age, and that it 

 is often coppiced before reaching that age. Older trees as well as 

 coppice-bushes that escape the usual fate of underwood for a 

 sufficient time flower freely and bear plenty of fruit. — James W. 

 White. 



Alchemilla vulgaris var. filicaulis (Buser). Nearlngarsby 

 Tunnel, Leicestershire, May 12th, 1906, v.-e. 55. The specimens 

 sent for distribution last year being of rather abnormal size, a few are 

 contributed for this year of the usual type for comparison, though 

 in all other respects they exhibit the characters of the variety to 

 an equal extent. It may almost be said to be the type of the 



