322 
SUMMARY OP CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 
BOTANY. 
A. GENERAL, including 1 the Anatomy and Physiology 
of the Phanerogamia. 
a. Anatomy. 
(1) Cell-structure and Protoplasm. 
Behaviour of the Nucleus in Growing Cells.* — Herr E. Zacharias 
gives a number of illustrations of the law that in the nuclei of growing 
cells specific changes are very widely distributed ; such, for example, as 
an increase in the size of the nucleus and in the mass of the nucleoles in 
the first stages of cell-growth. With an increase in the size of the 
nucleus appears to be associated a corresponding decrease in the amount 
of nuclein. 
In the sieve-tubes and in the elements of the vessels of Cucurbita , the 
author finds at first an increase in the amount of chromatin and nuclein, 
which, however, again diminish before the maturity of the organ. During 
the germination of the seeds of Bicinus a considerable increase of nucleus 
and nucleoles takes place. In the larch he found no increase of the 
nucleus, but the formation of a nuclear framework in the previously 
homogeneous nucleus. In Zea and Hyacinthus the nuclei remain quite 
unchanged during germination. This difference appears to be associated 
with the fact that in Bicinus a considerable growth of the endosperm 
cells takes place during germination, while this is not the case with Zea . 
In Hyacinthus and Galanthus the mother-cells of the stomates and the 
young guard-cells are smaller, and contain smaller nucleoles but more 
nuclein than the neighbouring epidermal cells. 
Direct Nuclear Division in the Embryo-Sac of L ilium Martagon.t 
— According to observations made by Miss E. Sargant, the two lower 
antipodal nuclei in the embryo-sac of this plant are formed in a dif- 
ferent way from the remaining six nuclei which are found in the 
embryo-sac before fertilisation, viz. by a process of direct division. 
(2) Other Cell-contents (including Secretions). 
Myriophyllin.J — Herr F. Prosclier has made a series of observations 
on this pigment, found by Eaciborski in the trichomes of Myriophyllum 
and in other water plants. These show that the red reaction of the 
pigment when treated with vanillin and hydrochloric acid is due to a 
process of oxidation, myriophyllin itself being colourless. 
Honeydew.§ — According to M. G. Bonnier, there is a purely vege- 
tative honeydew apart from that which is caused by the attacks of 
Aphides. It is formed especially when there is a great difference in 
temperature between day and night, and then only during the night-time. 
It may be seen to escape through the stomates. The chemical composi- 
tion of this secretion differs from that caused by the attacks of insects, 
and appears to correspond closely to that of the nectar of flowers. 
* Flora, lxxxi. (1895) Erganzungsbd., pp. 217-66 (3 pis.). 
T Ann. Bot., x. (1896) pp. 107-8. 
J Ber. Deutscli. Bot. Gesell., xiii. (1896) pp. 345-8. Cf. this Journal, 1894, p. 76. 
§ Comptes Rendus, cxxii. (1896) pp. 335-8. 
