ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 
623 
Special Elements in Glycine sinensis.* — Dr. B. Pasquale finds in the 
young branches of this leguminous plant, here and there in the tissue 
of the pith, soft "bast and cortex, special elements of two forms — 
tubular and isodiametric, the former of which have a temporary, the 
latter a permanent function. The transitory elements are formed of 
living, the permanent of dead cells. The isodiametric elements -result from 
the development of single cells, the tubular from the fusion of several. 
Both kinds appear to serve as reservoirs for substances varying widely 
in composition, among which are always found proteids, and frequently 
tannin and sugar. Their chief function appears to be a protecting one. 
Constituents of Lie^nin.t — Herr G. Lange has obtained the same 
results from pine as from beech and oak-wood, decomposition of the 
lignin taking place, under the action of alkalies, into cellulose and two 
different lignic acids. He thinks it probable, however, that in the wood 
the cellulose is in composition with one lignic acid only. 
(4) Structure of Organs. 
Monocentric and Polycentric Flowers.f — Prof. F. Delpino classifies 
the flowers of Angiosperms under two great series : — euantliio, or those 
which are strictly monothalamic, and pseudanthic , which have either 
polythalamic flowers, or in which the inflorescence perfectly simulates the 
structure of a simple flower. All Monocotyledons are euanthic, as also 
are nearly all Corolliflorse and Achlamydese, many Monochlamydeae, 
and other orders belonging to primitive types, such as the Ranuncu- 
laceae, Papaveraceae, Aristolochiaceae, and many others. On the other 
hand, the Malvaceae and allied orders, such as the Sterculiaceae, 
Tiliaceae, Geraniaceae, and Linaceae, are pseudanthic, as also are many 
Euphorbiaceae. To the same series belong also the Rosaceae and all 
allied orders, such as the Myrtaceae, Saxifragaceae, Rutaceae, Guttiferae, 
Cistaceae, &c. 
Change of Flowers to Tubers. § — Mr. C. A. Barber describes a 
plant of Nymphsea Lotus , which shows great abnormality in the formation 
of its flowers. While the first formed flower-buds were developing into 
the normal flowers, a further and very large development of buds took 
place ; and these buds, which were of slow growth, were found 
to be curiously deformed. The sepals, which appeared as usual, were 
not followed in due course by petals and stamens, but were found to 
enfold a number of green leaves, with occasional buds in their axils, 
separated from one another, and almost concealed from view by a dense 
mass of long white hairs. This formation of foliage, instead of floral 
leaves, accompanied as it was by a swelling of the end of the axis of the 
flower, may be briefly described by saying that tubers were developed in 
place of flowers. The author then carefully describes the structure of 
the deformity which he characterizes as a case of chloranthy. 
* Malpighia, iii. (1890) pp. 451-67 (1 pi.). 
f Zeitsclir. f. Physiol. Chem., xiv. pp. 212-27. See Bot. Centralbl., xlii. (1890) 
p. 308. Cf. this Journal, ante , p. 353. 
% Malpighia, iv. (1890) pp. 479-92 (3 figs.). 
