58 
SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 
tifolhm (Asparageae), of the cone of Sequoia sempervirens, and of the 
inflorescence of Elvira hijiora (Compositas). The axis of the male 
inflorescence of Sequoia sempervirens appears to present normally an 
example of dichotomous forking. The inflorescence of Elvira exhibits 
the remarkable singularity of being reduced to about three flowers, the 
receptacle being completely suppressed; the mode of development is 
cymose. 
Comparative Anatomy of Bracts, Leaves, and Sheathing Leaves.* * * § 
— M. L. Dufour shows that: — (1) The structure of the floral bracts is 
nearly always diflerent from that of the ordinary leaves ; (2) in the 
same leaf, or in leaves of various origin on the same plant, different 
types of structure may be found ; (3) the structure of the sheath is 
nearly always different from that of the lamina ; (4) there is not an 
invariable type of structure in leaves ; the structure of the leaf depends 
essentially uj)on its mode of origin. 
Laminar Enations from the Surfaces of Leaves.j- — Dr. A. Ernst 
describes two cases of laminar enation. In the first it was found that on 
the dorsal surface of two of the leaves of a specimen of Anthurium 
crassinervium there were quite a number of curious enations midway 
between the primary nerves ; and in the second, a leaf of Mangifera 
indica had on its under surface a secondary leaf growing from the mid- 
rib. The author states that we have here a case of fission ; but as to 
its primary cause or causes, he does not offer any suggestions. 
Apparatus to demonstrate the Mechanism of Turgidity and 
Movement in Stomates.J — M. L. Errera describes a very simple 
apparatus illustrating the mechanism in stomates. It is composed of 
a ball of caoutchouc, which is surrounded by a network of silk, and 
terminates at each end in a small rigid tube. The branches of a metallic 
support bifurcate and receive the tubes in question. One of the tubes 
is closed, the other carries a cock, and this cock can be opened and air 
injected ; the caoutchouc ball distends and presses against the silk 
network, the cock is then turned, and the ball remains rigid and turgid. 
The above is comparable to a turgid vegetable cell. The author con- 
cludes by describing a slight modification of this apparatus, consisting 
of two crescent-shaped balls of caoutchouc touching at their extremities 
but free in the middle, which may be compared to the two cells of a 
stomate. 
Hairs of Labiatae and Borragine3e.§— Herr C. Schmidt finds the 
hairs of the Borraginese very nnifoim in character, stiff and sharp- 
pointed, with an elevated basal cushion formed from epidermal cells. 
Glandular hairs are comparatively rare ; branched hairs or secreting 
glands do not occur in the order. The hairs of the Hydroj)hyllacea9 
closely resemble those of the Borraginese. 
In the Labiatae, on the other hand, a great variety occurs in the 
nature of the hairs, characteristic of the suborders, and even in some 
* Bull. Soc. Bot. France, xxxvi. (1889) pp. 304-8. 
t Ann. of Bot., iii. (1889) pp. 439-42. 
X Ball. Acad. E. Sci. Belgique, xvi. (1888) pp. 458-72 (1 pi.). 
§ ‘ Vergleich. Unters. ub. d. Behaarung d. Labiateii u. Borragincen,’ Rybnik, 
1888, 68 pp. See Bot. Cenfralbl , xxxix. (1889) p. 35. 
