236 JOUKNAL OF THE EOYAL HORTICULTUEAL SOCIETY. 



Plant Life on the Steppes of South-East Russia {Bei. Bot. 

 Cent, bd. 10, ht. 8). — Dr. Taliew gives some interesting details on 

 various plants. The Chicory is abundant, and the blue tlowers open 

 with great rapidity between 5 and 8 a.m. About two or three hours later 

 every head has closed up and remains shut during the day. The same plant 

 is said to open its flowers at 4-5 a.m. at Upsala, and at G-7 a.m. at Inns- 

 bruck. Xerantliemum annuum also opens very early in the morning ; 

 the filaments and style develop in such a way that the anther tube stands 

 above the level of the capitulum. As soon as the sun's rays in the 

 early morning strike the flowers, the filaments contract, dragging down the 

 anther tube and exposing the pollen- covered style. The heads of this 

 flower always turn towards the East through a special curvature of the 

 stalk, so that the light falls directly upon the capitulum. — G. F. S.-E. 



Plants, Observations on Free-growing and Transplanted. 



By Franz Krasan (Ejigl. Bot. Jahrb. \x\m. -p]). 54^6-551 ; 11/1/1901). — 

 A continuation of researches on the polymorphy of plants, published in 

 an early number of the same volume (pp. 180-215). An account of 

 the variations shown by some common plants (such as Capsclla Biirsa- 

 jMstoris, Knautia arvcnsis, species of Viola) when growing under various 

 conditions of soil, either naturally or after transplanting. The author 

 maintains that such variations are latent in the seed, the environ- 

 ment (nature of the soil, &c.) having merely a secondary, so to speak, 

 directing eft'ect. — A. B. B. 



Platy cerium (Bcv. Hort. Beige, February 1901). — M. Louis Gentil 

 describes species of this genus as clothing the trunks of trees on the 

 Congo, and always growing in light. It is a mistake to grow them under 

 shade. They aftect leguminous trees with hard wood, the natives 

 observing that a tree with this fern " will not fall."^ — G. H. 



Pleroma elegans (Bev. Hort. Beige, March 1901).— M. J. 

 Burvenich describes this beautiful plant of the order Melastomacece , first 

 introduced by Messrs. Veitch in 1841. — G. H. 



Pleurothallis Roezlii. By Otto Froebel (Gartenflora, p. 271 ; 

 15/5 1901.) — Received from New Grenada; a very difficult variety to 

 import. Is a free bloomer and of easy culture. The variety is strongly 

 recommended. Illustration from photograph. — C. E. S. 



Plumbag-O capensis {Bev. Hort. Beige, June 1901).— M. Eng. de 

 Duren discusses the cultivation of this plant. — G. H. 



Plums, Drying. Anon (Gard. Mag. 2467, p. 84; 9 '2/1901).- 

 Abstract of the Report by the British Consul at Bordeaux on the 

 preparation of French Plums, particularly in the plum-growing district of 

 Lot-et- Garonne, the department which is the centre of the trade. The 

 Consul gives a detailed account of the varieties grown for the production 

 of Prunes, their cultivation, and details of the drying process. — TT". G. 



