— 63 — 
ERRATA 
Page 40, line 21, for 32. var. implexa read 31. var. implexa. 
Page 41, line 31, Thallus pendulous should be dichotomous with thallus' 
erect, line n. 
SHORTER NOTES 
Recent American botanical periodicals have contained a number of articles 
on mosses, hepatics, and lichens indicating considerable research in one line or 
another among these interesting plants. 
Notes on the life-history of Sphagnum subsecundum. — In the Botanical 
Gazette (January 1915, pp. 40-56) Mr. George S. Bryan has contributed the 
first of a series of papers on the life history of Sphagnum subsecundum. (“The 
Archegonium of Sphagnum subsecundum.”) Referring to the impression “in 
some quarters at least, that Sphagnum seldom bears sex organs,” Bryan notes 
that in a careful study of a bog covering about twenty acres near Mineral Springs,. 
Indiana, 40 miles south of Chicago, and also other bogs in that vicinity, the fact 
was disclosed that “not a single sterile head of S. subsecundum could be found. 
Sex organs were everywhere in vast numbers.” . . . “and again in the 
autumn of 1913 the sex organs appeared in the same vast numbers.” It was 
found that “when the sex organs are approaching maturity both male and fe- 
male plants have well marked characters. The antheridial heads are decidedly 
globose and show variations in color from yellow brown to red brown, occasion- 
ally almost black. The archegonial heads are less globose, have a somewhat 
flattened aspect on top, and show no unusual coloring except the conspicuous 
bud at the growing point in the center of the head. This bud varies in color 
from a yellow brown to red brown. An analysis of the bud reveals archegonia 
almost mature on short side branches near the apex of the main axis, the color- 
ing matter being in the perichaetial leaves surrounding the organs.” The 
antheridia began to develop in August, the archegonia in September. In 1913 
the oldest archegonia were almost mature on October 25 and about this time the 
coloring of the perichaetial leaves began to be noticeable. Some archegonia do 
not become mature before early spring. 
The main body of this interesting contribution is given over to the study of 
the development of the archegonium, Bryan’s conclusions being that “The 
archegonium of Sphagnum subsecundum is synthetic. The stalk, the thick venter, 
and the comparatively slender twisted neck are moss characters; the relatively 
inactive cover cell, the intercalary growth of the archegonium, and the low num- 
ber of canal cells [8 or 9] are hepatic characters as we know them today.” The 
paper is illustrated by four plates containing fifty-nine figures and is well worth 
reading by every bryologist. — O. E. J. 
Lichens Decompose Rocks.— Cowles has recently called attention (Bo- 
tanical Gazette 59 : 77. Jan. 1915) to a couple of papers by Bachmann (Ber. 
Deutsch. Bot. Gesells. 29 : 261-273, I 9 II > and 31 : 3-12. 1913) relating to the 
action of lichens upon their substrata. The micaceous element of granite is 
quickly decomposed and eventually within a relatively short time the granite 
is broken down into a clay like substance. In the second paper noted it was 
