214 
SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 
86 • 67 per cent, of a volatile oleic acid, with a variable proportion of 
glycerin, and a mixture of fatty acids, including myristinic acid. The 
spores contain also a minimum of 2*12 per cent, of cane-sugar. 
Apospory in Ferns.* — Prof. F. Cohn describes experiments in the 
cultivation of the well-known aposporous fern, Athyrium Filix-femina 
var. clarissima. He was unable to establish that the peculiarity could 
be transmitted by heredity. 
Roots of Ferns.| — Herr J. P. Lachmann states that, with the ex- 
ception of come species of Trichomanes, all ferns produce lateral roots, 
which always spring from definite points in the primary meristem of 
the summits of the stem. In some cases, however (CyatheaceaB), they 
cease growing as soon as their apex has traversed the cortex, while in 
others they remain completely imprisoned, and may lie dormant for an 
indefinite period, a fact which has given rise to the erroneous statement 
that these ferns produce adventitious roots. The roots of ferns have a 
remarkably long duration of life, a phenomenon largely due to the con- 
serving effect of the filici tannic acid produced in their integument. 
The lateral roots spring from the petiole only in Ceratopteris thalic- 
troides ; in all other ferns from the stem. They may be arranged 
without any definite order, or their number may have a direct relation 
to the number of leaves. In the species of Athyrium, and in Ceterach 
officinarum and Lomaria spicant there is always one root to each leaf ; 
in Osmunda and Todea two lateral roots to each leaf ; in Cystopteris one 
lateral and one median; in some species of Aspidium three; in the 
arborescent Cyatheacese it may reach a very large number. 
Other FilicineaG resemble Filices more or less in the mode of inser- 
tion of the roots. In Marattia there is one median root beneath each 
leaf ; in Angiopteris two lateral ones ; in Ophioglossacese and Marsiliaceae 
the insertion of the roots has a relationship to the leaves ; it is less 
evident in Equisetaceae, and disappears altogether in the Lycopodineae. 
Among Phanerogams such a relationship is very rare ; but occurs in 
Nuphar lutea and in some Aroideas. 
It is possible for the roots to bear buds ; but this occurs only very 
rarely. The stolons of Nephrolepis are cauline. 
Hybrid Ferns and Mosses.^ — Herr H. v. Klinggraeff gives a 
resume of the authentic cases at present known of hybridization among 
Ferns, in all of which a mingling of the characters of the parents is 
exhibited by the offspring. He doubts whether there are at present 
any unquestionable instances of hybridization in Mosses. 
Muscineae. 
Braithwaite’s British Moss-flora.§ — The most recently published 
part of this beautiful work completes the genera of Grimmiacese with 
Pleurozygodon (1 sp.), Zygodon (5 sp.). Orthotrichum (17 sp.), and 
* JB, Schles. GeselL Vaterl. Cultiir, 1888 (1889) pp. 157-60. Cf. this Journal, 
1889, p. 256. 
t Ann, Soc. Bot. Lyon. (5 pis. and figs.). See Morot’s Journ. de Bot., iii. 
(1889), Kev. Bibl., p. cix. 
X Schrift. Nat, Gesell. Danzig, 1889, pp. 172-8. See Bot. Centralbl., xl. (1889) 
p. 288. § Ft. xii. (1889) 18 pp. and 7 pis. 
