NOTES AND ABSTRACTS. 



371 



Pseudacacia, formed several shoots, one of these when grown on repro- 

 duced a fine tree, very floriferous and fruitful, but it produces branches 

 of two kinds, the great majority bearing very small thorns which 

 sometimes are almost entirely lacking, in which case they bear 

 numerous lenticels, while the other comparatively few branches 

 bear large thorns quite of the R. Pseudacacia type, and flowers agree- 

 ing also' therewith, but with less powerful odour and producing some- 

 what smaller fruit. — C. T. D. 



Gramineae, Systematic Notes on. By Ernst H. L. Krause 



{Beih. Bot. Cent. Bd. 29, Abt. ii. pp. 127-146).— The author considers 

 that Bromus velutinus is specifically different from B. secalinus. Its 

 distribution depends upon that of the Spelt (Wheat). B. arduennensis 

 is a 'form (SpieJart) of B. velutiiius. Lasiagrotis belongs to Stipa and 

 not to Calamagrostis. There is also in the paper a systematic revision 

 of the Setariae discovered in Alsace Lorraine. — G. F. S. PJ. 



Guatemala Plants, New. By John Donnell Smith {Bot. Gaz. 

 pp. 45-53, July 1911). — New species of Tliouinia, Galop ogonium, 

 Hanza (5 spp.), Sicydium, Geophila, Tahernaemontana, Lisia-nthus 

 (2 spp.), Solanum, Alloplectus , and Besleria are described. — G. F. S. E. 



Gumwoods, Disting'uishing' Characteristics of North Ameri- 

 can. By George B. Sudworth and Clayton D. Mell (U.S.A. Dep. 

 Agr., Forest Service, Bull. 103; Oct. 28, 1911). — Fine species of gum 

 {Nyssa) are cultivated in the United States, the timber of all being 

 valuable from a commercial point of view. A description of each 

 species is given, with points of identification, while the quality of 

 timber is described, together with geographical range and a most useful 

 list of the many popular or " trade " names. — A. D. W. 



Haemanthus, Leaf Colour in. By Friedrich Hildebrand 

 {Beih. Bot. Cent. Bd. 28, Abt. i. Heft 1, pp. 66-89).— The author 

 crossed Haemanthus tigrinus on H. coccineus. The leaf of the former 

 has on the under surface to a greater or less extent, dark brown 

 transverse bars or spots, whilst the upper surface Cexcept near the .base 

 and only occasionally) is dark green. The leaves of H. coccineus are a 

 lighter green and are without any spots or bars. 



: V The author comments on the apparently useless character of these 



; markings on the under-leaf surface, which cannot be caused by light. 



I He obtained thirty seedlings which showed an extraordinary 

 variation in leaf colour. Some showed the same sort of bars and spots 

 as H. tigrinus, and even in some cases similar spots covering a third 



1 or a fifth of the upper surface. 



j . Not only so, but the degree and character of spotting varied 

 I irregularly from year to year. The changes are given for each leaf 

 I of each bastard for every year from 1906-1911. 



The author points out that some show in one year paternal and 

 m another maternal characters. — G. F. S. E. 



