NOTES AND ABSTRACTS. 



211 



Cauliflorous Plants. By S. H. Koorders {Ann. Jard. Bot. Bait. 

 Ser. II. vol. iii. 1902, pp. 81-91 ; 11 figs.).— Illustrations and brief 

 descriptions of some tropical woody plants producing their flowers on 

 non-foliaged shoots emitted from the old parts of the main trunk, some 

 of the species being at the same time geocarpous. — P. G. 



Celmisias (Journ. Hort. April 2, 1903, p. 290 ; with an engraving of 

 C. coriacea). — Celmisia contains thirty-four good species, mostly from 

 the temperate Pacific Islands. They are of doubtful hardiness. Some 

 of them endure winter fairly well in the southern counties. The best 

 for the English climate are G. Lindsayi and G. spectabilis. — C. W. D. 



Celsia Arcturus, Jacq. By F. de Bievre (Rev. Hort. Beige, xxviii. 

 No. 8, p. 169 ; col. pi.). — The genus is only different from Verbascum by 

 the absence of the fifth stamen. This species bears handsome spikes of 

 large golden-yellow flowers. — G. H. 



Chemical Stimulation and the Evolution of Carbon Dioxide. 



By E. B. Copeland (Bot. Gaz. xxxv. Nos. 2, 3, pp. 81 and 160).— Experi- 

 menting with a variety of substances, it was found that in individual 

 cases a rapid elongation of the primary roots of seedlings resulted from 

 the action of Bi, Cr, In, Se, Te, Hg, Bo, Pb, W, Co, and Cu. This 

 abnormally rapid growth was frequently followed promptly by death. 

 As the compounds of these elements began to enter into solution, their 

 first action on the plant was that of stimulants ; when these same com- 

 pounds became more concentrated, they became distinctly, often fatally, 

 toxic. 



The general conclusions, from the numerous experiments described in 

 detail, were, that no poison has been found not to act as a stimulant. 

 Metallic salts drive C0 2 from carbonates in the cell sap. This pseudo- 

 respiration, under the action of strong poisons, is many times as active as 

 the real respiration, and makes the study of the latter impossible. C0 2 is 

 given off from filtered sap (Elodea) much more rapidly than from the 

 plant before injury. The stimulation by K salts is greater than that by 

 Na salts, in about the proportion of their relative toxicity. A considerable 

 evolution of C0 2 is a feature, of the breaking down of "protoplasm " into 

 mere "proteid," in death. — G. H. 



Chermes picese, Biology of. By 0. Nutzlin (Nat. Zeit. Land- 

 Forst, i. pp. 25-33 and 59-67, 1903 ; 15 figs.).— Recently our knowledge 

 of Spruce gall aphis, Larch aphis, and other species of conifer-frequenting 

 Chermes has been considerably added to. Professor Nutzlin (Carlsruhe) 

 has specially followed the life-history of the above species. The paper 

 opens with a useful summary of previous observations. The full life- 

 history of most of the species of Chermes occupies two years, one winter 

 and spring being passed on the Spruce, and the other year on Larch, 

 Silver Fir, or Pine ; five generations are produced — three wingless and 

 two winged, the latter being those which effect the transfer from the 

 Spruce to another conifer, and vice versa. Nutzlin's principal result is 

 the discovery of the sexual generation of Chermzs picece (which is 

 figured). He also shows that (1) this species lives entiraly on species of 



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