166 Scientific Intelligence. 



literature,* in which anomalous internal bast arises in a very- 

 different way, being developed entirely secondarily, through the 

 activity of a cambium, gradually extending itself inward at the 

 nodes, and entering the pith through the gaps in the fibro-vascu- 

 lar ring, which are left by the outgoing leaf-trace bundles. 



B. L. E. 



5. Die Gattung Phyllostylon und ihre Beziehungen zu Sam- 

 aroceltis. (Oestr. bot. Zeitschr., Dec, 1890.) — Dr. P. Faubeet, 

 the author of this short article, having been fortunate enough to 

 obtain fruiting specimens of Phyllostylon Brasiliense Capan, 

 finds that they correspond closely to plants upon which the new 

 genus Samaroceltis has recently been founded. The conclusion 

 is naturally drawn that the two genera must be united under the 

 older name Phyllostylon. "While studying these plants Drs. 

 Taubert and Urban have discovered a Cuban form of Phyllostylon 

 almost identical with a Paraguay species. This is an additional 

 point in proving a relationship, which seems to exist between the 

 flora of the West Indies and the southern United States on the 

 one hand, and of Paraguay and the Argentine Republic on the 

 other, a peculiarity of botanical geography for which no adequate 

 explanation has as yet been offered. b. l. e. 



6. Eine Notiz uber das Verhalten der Chlorophyllbdnder in 

 den Zygoten der Spirogyraarten • by Vincent Chmielevskt. 

 (Bot. Zeit. 1890, viii, pp. 773-780). — Owing perhaps to the greater 

 importance ascribed to the cell-nucleus, the conduct of the chloro- 

 plaslids, during reproduction among the Conjugates, seems until 

 now to have received but little attention. It has long been sup- 

 posed that the chlorophyll-bodies of the two conjugating cells in 

 some way unite, both contributing to the substance of the new 

 chloroplastid of the zygospore. In the interesting paper just 

 named, the author shows that this idea is altogether unfounded. 

 In the species of Spirogyra studied by him, the chloroplastid of 

 the zygospore develops directly from that of the conjugating 

 cell within which the spore is formed (female .cell), while the 

 chlorophyll of the other conjugating cell takes no part in this 

 process, but gradually loses its color, disintegrates, and after 

 remaining sometime in the spore as a minute mass of brownish 

 pigment, finally disappears altogether. These facts add, as the 

 author concludes, a striking argument for the theory that heredi- 

 tary traits are transmitted entirely by the agency of the nuclei,, 

 the vegetative parts of the cells being, in this regard, entirely 

 neutral. b. l. e. 



* Cf. Annales du Jard. bot. de Buitenzorg, vol. viii, pp. 102-111. 



Index to Volumes XXXI-XL. 



An Extea ISTumbee giving a full index to volumes XXXI-XL y 

 and forming pp. 505-548 of volume XL, was issued in January. 

 Sent only to those who specially order it — price seventy-five cents. 



