202 
SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 
ordinary foliage-leaves, and with rudimentary leaves ; but in the Cactaceae 
the suppression goes much further than in the Euphorbiaceae. Both 
families are distinguished by a strong development of the base of the 
leaf ; the spines of the Euphorbiaceae are stipules or lateral shoots ; 
those of the Cactaceae are always foliar organs of the undeveloped 
lateral shoots. The Cactaceae differ from the Euphorbiaceae and from 
most other plants in the leaves which are in immediate proximity to 
the apex producing rudiments of shoots in their axes. 
Glands in Echinops and Diervilla.'^ — Mr. T. Meehan describes the 
nectar-glands in Echmops, w’hich is cultivated for bees, situated at the 
top of the cerolla-tube, instead of the base, as is usually the case; and 
the epigynous glands of Diervilla, which he regards, from a comparison 
with those of Lonicera, as rudimentary branches. 
Glands of Eichhornia.j — Herr V. A. Poulsen finds, in the leaf-stalk 
of Eiclihornia crassipes, peculiar glands on the walls of the air chambers. 
Each gland has two heads which secrete an oily fluid containing a small 
quantity of tannin. They are formed from single cells, have a 
mulberry-like appearance, but arc hollow and open at the apex. 
Calcareous Scales and Epidermal Glands in Globulariese and 
Selagine8e4 — M. E. Heckel states that in the Globularieae and Selagineas 
calcareous epidermal glands are to be found similar to those existing 
in Plumbaginese, Frankeniacese, and Tamariscinea3. There also exist in 
certain species non-calcareous ej^idermal glands, and these glands are 
peculiar to these two families. The latter are the rule within these 
families, while the former are the exception, being only a physiological 
adaptation of the calcareous glands. The two forms of gland are some- 
times to be met with on the leaves of the same species (^Globularia 
ilicifolia) ; or they may occupy different organs on the same individual, 
as in Selago spuria, where the leaves have calcareous while the stem 
bears non-calcareous glands. 
Protuberances on the Branches of Biota.§ — Herr 0. Lignier has 
examined the peculiar warts found on the lower branches of Biota, and 
has found them to be undeveloped adventitious roots which have re- 
mained inclosed in the bark. The growing point of the root appears to 
be still active ; around its apex is formed a phellogen, which developes 
phelloderm outwardly, periderm inwardly ; the latter passes over 
gradually into the root-cap. 
Floating Organs of Neptunia oleracea.|l — Dr. G. Eitter Beck v. 
Mannagetta describes the floating organs of this plant (Desmanthus 
natans W.) from Sumatra. All the cells of the cortical tissue are 
stellate, none of them round. There is no secondary cambium, nor 
any uninterrupted ring of bast-cells after the disappearance of the 
* Bot. Gazette, xiv. (1889) pp. 258-9 (2 figs.). 
t Videusk. Meddel. Naturhist. Foreu. Kjobenhavn, 1888, p. 28 (1 pL). See Bot. 
Centralbl., xxxix. (1889) p. 124. 
X Comptes Kendus, cix. (1889) pp. .S5-8. 
§ Bull. Soc. Liun. Normandie, ii. (1889) pp. 118-24. See Bot. Centralbl., xl. 
(1889) p. 125. 
11 SB. K. K. Zool.-Bot. GeselL Wien, xxxix. (1889) pp. 57-9. 
