308 
SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 
Structure and Affinities of the Grubbiaceae.* — M. P. van Tieghcm 
points out that this small order, composed of the two genera Grubbia and 
OpMra, usually included in, or placed near, the Santalaceae, is not really 
nearly allied to that family. The bilocular ovary contains a true seed,, 
and the order must be placed among the unitegminate apopetalous 
Seminatae with inferior ovary ; its nearest ally is the Bruniaceae. The 
structure of the anther presents a fortuitous resemblance to that of the 
Hamamelideae. 
Vegetable Teratology. j — M. C. de Candolle classifies the various 
examples of vegetable teratology under two heads, ataxinomic and taxi- 
nomic. The former includes such abnormal structures as are not repre- 
sented among plants in a normal condition, for example fasciation, 
torsion, chloranthy (when it does not result from the action of parasites), 
doubling of flowers (when resulting from the substitution of petals for 
stamens and carpels), and other less common abnormalities. The latter 
class comprises those abnormalities which correspond to taxinomic differ- 
ences between species, such as the concrescence of leaf-sheaths usually 
distinct, the transformation of leaves or leaf-sheaths into pitchers, the 
formation of emergences or supernumerary laminse, proliferation, the 
concrescence of cotyledons, synanthy, peloria, the arrest or abortion of 
some of the floral whorls, &c. The author points out that the general 
tendency of teratological structures is towards a greater simplicity of 
development. 
£. Physiology. 
(1) Reproduction, and Embryology. 
Embryogeny of Veronica.^ — Prof. A. Meunier has followed out the 
process of impregnation and the changes which take place during the 
development of the endosperm and the growth of the embryo and of the 
seed, in several species of Veronica. The embryo-sac is derived from 
the hypodermal cell at the summit of the ovule, the nucleus of which at 
once undergoes its first bipartition, followed, with great rapidity, by 
fresh divisions. When the pollen-tube enters the embryo-sac, the male 
nucleus penetrates the substance of one of the synergids, afterwards 
passing into the oosphere. After impregnation lias taken place, the 
embryo-sac becomes completely divided into two parts by a constriction ; 
the lowermost of these portions (which contains the antipodals) taking 
no part in the formation of the endosperm ; and the same is the case with 
a portion which is divided off at the micropylar end of the sac. Of the 
eight nuclei which result from the third bipartition of the primary nucleus 
of the embryo-sac, only two take part in the formation of the endosperm, 
four remaining in the chalazal, and two in the micropylar portions of 
the sac, in which no endosperm is formed. 
The variations in the further development of the embryo and of the 
seed are traced out in Veronica hedersefolia, agrestis, jjersica, triphjllos , 
and arvensis. 
* Journ. de Bot. (Morot), xi. (1897) pp. 127-38. 
t Arch. Sci. Phys. et Nat., iii. (1897) pp. 197-208. 
X La Cellule, xii. (1897) pp. 297-334 (2 pis.). Cf. this Journal, 1894, p. 225. 
