SCIENCE- GOSSIP. 



189 



as sucli in '• English Botany," 3rd edition, and the 

 same in Hooker's " Flora," About John's book I 

 know nothing, except the name "Flowers of the 

 Field." Far better authorities are H. C. Watson 

 and the last edition of the " London Catalogue." 

 Both, of course, take the species as alien. 

 Hybridity is a matter for growers. — S. L. Petty, 

 TJlverston. 



A'ARIETY OF LASTRBA PSEUDO-MAS. — I found a 

 new variety of the above on the Coi'een Hills, 

 alongside the Cotburn, Altord, Aberdeenshire, on 

 August 21st, 1901. There are several crowns of 

 the plant, and the fronds are variable over the 

 whole, some being typical forms of Lastrea pse'udo- 

 mas, but most were departures from that in varying 

 degrees. Some were beautifully branched and 

 others forked. I found one several years ago ; but 

 the one under notice varies more from the normal 

 type. The former was named Lastrea jjsendo-mas 

 var. miiltiformis-nnlsoni by Mr. Wollaston, of 

 Chiselhurst. This one might be called Lastrea 

 pseiido-mas var iimltiforims II. mihom. — IF. ^V'dson. 

 Alford, Aberdeen, Scotland. 



Educational Botany.— I am enclosing some 

 notes on what I think would, if carried out, do 

 more for the furtherance of a love of field botany 

 than much writing. If plots could be set aside 

 and planted in a rational manner with labels giving.' 

 the common names as well as technical ones, so 

 that " he who runs may read," there might perhaps 

 be a chance that among the thousands who roam 

 over our parks a few here and there would be 

 attracted to use their eyes and brain in a science 

 at once pleasant and health-giving, I daresay you 

 know that here in Lancashire to be a botanist is 

 no great distinction, as the place has always been 

 the home of "herbalists" and their kindred, who 

 amongst many good points have much to answer 

 for in the depletion of our not too varied flora. I 

 should be glad if you could get anyone to send us 

 roots. Of course we should pay carriage, etc., and 

 in case you know of anyone likely I would send a 

 list marked with what we have. — Thomas Midglcy, 

 Cliadmcli 3Iii,ioiiiii, Bolton. 



Summer Flowers. — Spring flowers opened late 

 this year. There was little sunshine and a pre- 

 valence of cold, ungenial east wind. The first 

 hawthorn was noted on Jlay 15th. "With regard, 

 however, to early summer flowers it is quite dif- 

 ferent. They are opening in quick succession. 

 Rosa canina was first seen on May 30th, and is 

 now abundant. The forcing sun heat of the last 

 three weeks may be credited with this. During a 

 riverside ramble in this country on June 3rd, 

 scarcely more than a mile in length, we noted the 

 following flowers : — Muhns cacsivs. Digilali.i pur- 

 purea, Lychnh diiirna, varying in shade from pale 

 pink to deep rosy crimson, mingling with the 

 amber shades of Euj^Iiorbia ainijgdaloides ; Miur- 

 num opulus in the hed.ses ; Polyqala vulgaris, blue, 

 pink, and white in the grazed pastures ; in the 

 mowing-grass .7:^ro«(«s mollis and Arena 2>"l'escens 

 and Carex hirta fruiting by the river. Where the 

 parasitic PJtinant/ius erista-galli was flourishing 

 the grass was short and poor. In the damper 

 spots of the meadows bordering the river JIunnow 

 were numerous orchids. Listera orata in full 

 flower; Orehis morio, purple, pink, and white, was 

 nearly over ; 0. macidata and 0. inearnata were 

 abundant, accompanied by an interesting series of 

 intermediate forms, hybrids between the two last. 



The leaves of the hybrid are well marked with 

 small distinct spots. The flowers vary in tint, and 

 are intermediate in the form and the marking of 

 the labellum ; the spikes are furnished with long- 

 coloured bracts. The individuals were mostly tall, 

 well-developed specimens. — E. Armitaye, Dadnor, 

 Hertfordshire, June itli, 1901. 



STRUCTURAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL BOTANY 



CONDUCTED BY HAROLD A. HAIC4. 



Bract and Fruit-scale in Coniferae. — The 

 carpellary-scale in Pinus, or Lai'ix, corresponds, as 

 is well known, with a carpel in the Angiosperms, 

 but differs in that it is not folded on itself, but is 

 dorsi-ventrally flattened, and bears the o\ules upon 

 its upper surface. The bract is a scale-leaf, in the 

 axil, and perhaps partl.v from the upper surface, of 

 ■which the fruit-scale arises. The relative arrange- 

 ment of the xylem and phloem in these two 

 structures is peculiar, and has a distinct physio- 

 logical bearing upon the question. In the fruit- 



A. TlUNS-SECTloX OF BRACT (LAHIX). 



.rti. Xylem, nearest upper surface, ph, Vbloem. 



B. LoxGiTcmXAL Section of Bkact (t) 4xi> FnciT- 



SCALE (.r'). 



ph. Pliloem of fruit-scale nearest upper surface, j-^. Xjleni. 

 L Line of junction of bract and ticale. 



scale we find that the phloem is uppermost, and 

 adjacent to the under surface of the ovule, whilst 

 the xylem is underneath. In the bract, on the 

 other hand, the xylem is uppermost, lying adjacent 

 to the under surface of the fruit-scale, the phloem 

 being underneath. In this structure, then, the 

 constituents of the bundle have the same relative 

 position as in an ordinar}- bifacial leaf, whereas in 

 the fruit-scale they have received a " twist,"" 

 whereby phloem is brought uppermost. That the 

 phloem" should lie next the ovules is of importance, 

 for the elements of this tissue merge gradually into- 



