NOTES AND ABSTRACTS. 



519 



Gentiana gracilipes {Bot. Mag. tab. 8630). — China. Family Gentianaceae. 

 Tribe Swertieae. Herb, perennial, with barren rosettes, accompanied by erect 

 flowering stems. Leaves narrow lanceolate, up to 2 in. long. Flowers solitary in 

 the axils of the leaves. Corolla purplish-blue, petals alternating with 5 triangular 

 folds. — G. H. 



Germination in Economic Seeds Delayed. By Dean H. Rose (Bot. Gaz. vol. 

 lix. p. 425). — The author observes that " delayed germination and poor germina- 

 tion are due to one or more of the following causes : hard-coatedness, the need of 

 after-ripening, exclusion of oxygen by the seed-coat, the effect of frost on seeds, 

 fungi on or in seeds." Each of these is considered in detail with the experiments, 

 with the following summary : — 



1. Hard-coated seeds of legumes and seeds of Delphinium, Ipomoea, &c, 

 can be forced to more rapid germination by being blown against needle-points. 



2. For two varieties of lettuce, the seed improves in viability as it grows 

 older, up to the end of at least the fourth year. This improvement is probably 

 due to increased permeability of the inner seed-coat to water. 



3. Cold storage in wet sand increased the germination of seed of Pinus 

 Strobus and Cupressns macrocarpa. Delayed germination seems to be due to 

 lack of water. Any kind of soaking or injection gave 13-38 per cent, better 

 germination than was obtained with the controls. 



4. Certain samples of frosted oats improve in germinating power as they grow 

 older, others deteriorate. 



5. Certain late varieties of Western-grown garden peas germinate poorly 

 because of (a) frost injury to the embryo, (b) presence of fungi. 



6. Seeds of 51-4 per cent, of all species and varieties examined showed fungi 

 on the seed-coat within two days after being put to germinate. — G. H. 



Gladiolus, A Diseas8 of. By M. Foex (Jour. Soc. Nat. Hort. Fr., Feb. 1915, 

 p. 28). — A disease among Gladiolus bulbs, which appears first as brown spots 

 on the outside and eventually affects and hardens the internal tissues, has been 

 studied and is proved to be caused by a Fusarium. So far the appropriate cure 

 has not been discovered. — M. L. H. 



Gladiolus Melleri (Bot. Mag. tab. 8626).— -Tropical Africa. Family Iridaceae. 

 Tribe lrideae. Herb. Leaves few, linear, 1 ft. long. Scape 2 ft. high. Perianth 

 red. Anthers yellow. — G. H, 



Gladiolus, The Florist's. By A. J. Bliss (Gard. Chron. Jan. 8, 15, 22, 

 1916 ; pp. 25, 31, and 53 ; 1 fig.). — Describes clearly the change in form and 

 position from the normal zygomorphic hooded flower with three marked seg- 

 ments, to the semi-peloriate or Florist's form, in which five of the segments are 

 large and nearly equal in size and only one smaller and blotched. Besides these 

 extremes the writer describes the Reversion form, with the three inner segments 

 identical in size and marked with the blotch, and the Actinomorphic or lily- 

 shaped form, with all six segments large and unmarked. In the Florist's form, 

 by means of a twist of 30 0 in the perianth tube, the lower inner segment that is 

 farthest from the stem is brought into the lowest place. This is also the only 

 segment that retains the blotch. — E. A. B. 



Goat Moth (U.S.A. St. Com. Hort., Cal. Bull., vol. iii. No. 7, July 1914 ; 12 

 figs.). — The Carpenter Worm (Prionoxystus robiniae) is better known, perhaps, as 

 the goat moth! Oaks, poplars, willows, locust, and elms are in many localities 

 attacked and greatly damaged by this pest. 



" To reach these worms in their deep burrows was a problem, and the use 

 of carbon bisulphide was hit upon. Its use has been tried with great success 

 in many localities." — V. G. J. 



Goldenseal Cultivation. By W. Van Fleet (U.S.A. Dep. Agr., Bull. 613, 

 pp. 1 -1 5 ; 5 figs.) — Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis) is a perennial with a 

 short yellow root-stock. It grows to a height of one foot, and bears two or 

 three leaves and a small greenish white flower. The root-stock and rootlets 

 are valued on account of their medicinal properties. The plant may be propa- 

 gated from seed under glass or from root-buds. It requires the same conditions 

 as ginseng but is a less difficult crop to grow. — S. E. W. 



Grape Leaf-hopper, in the Lake Erie Valley, The. By Fred Johnson. 

 (U.S.A. Dep. Agr., Bur. Entom. No. 19, January 1914 ; 3 plates, 13 figs.). 

 — In nearly all discussions of the insect enemies of the grape during the past 

 seventy-five years, the grape leaf-hopper (Typhlocyba comes) has been put in 

 the front rank with the most destructive ones. Since it and its several 

 varieties are of common occurrence in native grape vines in the wild state 



