356 Scientific Intelligence. 



deoid yet discovered, though destined sooner or later to yield 

 this position to some still simpler type with multiovulate carpo- 

 phylls and spirally inserted microsporophylls. g. b. W, 



3. Pterido sperms and Anglosperms ; by F. W. Oliver. 

 New Phytologist, vol. v, No. 10, Dec. 31, 1906, pp. 232-242.— 

 To give an adequate summation of this lecture would be to 

 quote it entire. In speaking of the general morphologic signifi- 

 cance of the flowers of Cycadeoidea, Professor Oliver says : 



" The great interest to many, and among them myself, will be 

 the significance of this hermaphrodite flower from an angio- 

 spermous point of view. Does it tend to bring Angiosperms 

 into the fern-Pteridosperm-Cycad line ? The flower is admit- 

 tedly a gymnosperm in that pollination is direct, but one's faith 

 in the old shibboleths has in these days received many shocks. 

 As a feature of taxonomic importance, secondary thickening has 

 lost all its former significance. The possession of seeds, again, 

 is readily admitted to be no mark of affinity. Is it possible that 

 Angiosperrny and Gymnospermy as differential criteria will have 

 to go too ? 



" Whatever else one may think of this flower, it cannot be 

 regarded as that of a quite typical Angiosperm, although Wie- 

 land has compared it appropriately enough with the flower of a 

 Magnoliaceous plant. 



" Its great interest and value seem to be that whilst just miss- 

 ing the Angiosperm it shows how close the cycad line could 

 come to realizing it. It is indeed the key to the Angiosperms ; 

 when that is recognized the rest is easy." G. E, w. 



4. On the Origin of Angiosperms ; by E. A. Newell 

 Aeber. Linn. Society's Journ., Botany, vol. xxxviii, July, 

 1907, pp. 29-80, with four text-figures. — This is decidedly the 

 most interesting paleobotanic contribution of the past year. 

 Nor will space permit an adequate critique. The examination 

 of evidence, and the development of the " strobilar theory " by 

 Arber leads to conclusions not remote from those advanced by 

 Hallier in the contribution just noted, as well as to a virtual con- 

 currence in our own interpretation of the significance of the 

 " amphisporangiate " flowers of the Cycadeoideae. 



It is held by Arber that the most generally accepted theory 

 that simple angiospermous flowers are better regarded as primi- 

 tive than as reduced forms, is inadequate; and, in accordance 

 with his view of a strobilar derivation he would restrict the use 

 of the word flower, which for the existent Angiosperms is limited 

 as a PJu-anthostrobilus, derived of course from the Pro-anthostro- 

 bilus of Mesozoic ancestors, and exemplified morphologically by 

 the flower-bud of Cycadeoidea. It follows, moreover, that the 

 Angiosperm families exhibiting the greatest assemblage of primi- 

 tive features are primarily the Magnoliacese and then the Ranun- 

 culacese, Nynipheaceas, and Calycanthacese, amongst Dicotyls, — 

 and the Alismacea?, Butomaceae, and Palmaceae amongst Mono- 

 cotyls, which latter must also be derivatives from an ancestry 

 with hermaphrodite flowers and well developed perianth. 



