498 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Ruscus, Danae, and Semele phylloclades. By Gustav Danek 

 (Beth. Bot. Cent. Bd. 29, Abt. 1, Heft 3, pp. 357-408 ; 2 plates ; 

 13 figs.). — The author finds that the nervation of Ruscus, Danae, and 

 Semele phylloclades shows that these organs consist of two parts 

 which are of different origin morphologically, and confirms Velenovsky's 

 theory on the subject. 



The leaf-like organs in the bract axils on Danae are true terminal 

 leaves ending a short branch. The flower-bearing phylloclade of 

 Ruscus consists of an axis which ends with a terminal inflorescence ; 

 one of the bracts of the first flower is very much enlarged and united 

 to the axial part. The barren phylloclade of Ruscus is a terminal 

 leaf. 



Myrsiphyllum and Asparagus have true phylloclades — that is, 

 these are canlome structures — but those of Semele are like these of 

 Ruscus. The anatomy of these organs confirms these conclusions, 

 as also do the abnormal cases described by the author in which the 

 two original parts which go to form the phylloclade remained separate. 

 Many transitional states were found by the author, of which some are 

 figured. — G. F. S. E. 



Salicornia, The Anatomy of the Genus. By Ethel De 



Fraine, D.Sc, F.L.S. (Jour. Linn. Soc. vol. xli. No. 282, pp. 317-348, 

 July 1913 ; with 2 plates and 14 text figures). — The morphological 

 distinction of leaf and stem has been variously interpreted by different 

 authors who have studied the structure of these succulent inhabitants 

 of the sea-shore. Babington, Bentham, and Hooker consider the 

 plants to be leafless and regard the fleshy internodes as composed of 

 succulent stem cortex. De Bary believed the leaves to be represented 

 by the small free tips on the succulent stem which are decussately 

 arranged. Duval-Joune regarded the so-called " outer cortex " of 

 the stem as foliar in character. 



Dr. De Fraine has reached the same conclusion as Duval-Joune 

 and she bases this conclusion upon a careful consideration of : — 



(a) The development of the shoot behind the apex. 



(b) The anatomy and the course of the vascular bundles. 



(c) The structure of the flowering shoot. 



(d) The leaf-fall. 



(e) The morphology of the seedling. 



(/) The morphology of species of allied genera. 



Besides this principal result of her research Dr. De Fraine also 

 records a number of other interesting features in the histology and 

 anatomy of Salicornia, such as the existence of transition forms between 

 the spiral tracheids and stereids ; the formation and character of 

 the aerenchyma, &c. — R. B. 



Salix zygostemon and S. Medemii var. longifrons. By J. 



Bornmueller (Garten-flora, vol. lxii. pt. xi. pp. 242-245). — Salix 

 zygostemon, from the West of Persia, is perhaps a natural hybrid of 



