ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 
653 
Anatomy of the Begoniacese.* — M. C. Fellerer describes in detail 
tbe anatomical structure of the Begoniaceae, particularly in reference to 
the light it throws on their systematic position. Especial stress is laid 
on the structure of the cystolith-like structures, the nature of which 
differs in different species. The structure and distribution of these 
bodies favours the theory of the relationship of the Begoniaceae to the 
Cucurbitaceae. 
Anatomy of Phaseolese.j — From an examination of 44 out of the 
47 genera of this tribe of Papilionaceae, and of nearly 300 species, 
Herr R. Debold states that they are distinguished by several anatomical 
characteristics from the rest of the order. The whole tribe is charac- 
terized by three-celled hairs and spherical or club-shaped glandular 
hairs. The stomates are always surrounded by two border-cells parallel 
to the fissure. The vascular bundles are always accompanied by crystals 
of calcium oxalate ; clusters of crystals are wanting, and raphides have 
not been observed in the Leguminosse. 
(4) Structure of Organs. 
Passage of Organs into one another.f — M. D. Clos insists that 
there is no sharp line of demarcation between organs in the vegetable 
kingdom ; even the distinction between stem and leaf is not an absolute 
one. The author classifies the various organs into elementary, filiform, 
and compound. Of intermediate organs he enumerates as many as 
twenty-three kinds. 
Seeds of Orchidese.§ — Mr. C. C. Curtiss describes the appearance 
and structure of the seeds of a number of American Orchideae. The 
more important differences noted are not correlated with those at present 
used in defining the genera, or even the tribes. The embryo possesses 
neither cotyledon nor radicle, resembling in this respect that of many 
saprophytes, such as Monotropa. On germination, the cells of the 
nucellus divide, and eventually form tuber-like buds, which ultimately 
give rise to the new plant. Two extreme types are described, one 
characterized by an elongated tapering testa and the elongated cells of 
the nucellus (e. g. Tipularia ), the other by an obovoid or inflated testa, 
and shorter, often equilateral cells (e. g. Corallorhiza , Hexalectris ). 
Testa of the Seed of Lythrarieae.|| — Herr W. Griitter describes the 
structure of the seed of a number of species of Lythrarieae belonging 
especially to the genera Cuphea , Lythrum , Heimia , Nessea , Peplis, and 
Ammannia. The seeds of the first two genera are especially character- 
ized by the presence of mucilaginous hairs in the epidermal cells, 
often coiled up and of great length, which swell up greatly and emerge 
from the cell on absorption of water. These hairs were shown by their 
chemical reactions to be composed of pure cellulose. In the forina- 
* * Beitr. z. Anat. u. Syst. d. Begoniaceen,’ Miinchen, 1892, xii. and 239 pp., 
3 pis. See Bot. Centralbl., liv. (1893) p. 215. 
f ‘ Beitr. z. Anatom. Charakt. d. Pkaseoleen,’ Offenburg, 1892, 77 pp., 1 pi. See 
Bot. Centralbl., liv. (1893) p. 302. 
X Mem. Acad. Sci. Toulouse, iv. (1892) 23 pp. and 1 pi. See Bot. Centralbl., 
liv. (1893) p. 239. § Bull. Torrey Bot. Club, xx. (1893) pp. 183-92 (3 pis.). 
|| Bot. Ztg., li. (1893) l t€ Abth., pp. 1-26 (1 pi.). 
