176 SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 
parasitism ; E. Bostlcoviana being a very strongly developed parasite, 
while E. minima exhibits a large degree of independence. It is not un- 
common for haustoria from the same individual to attach themselves to 
several different host-plants, and the number of such host-plants is very 
large. Alectorolophus (Bhinantlius) is an obligatory parasite, and appears 
to thrive best on grasses. The absence, in the Rhinanthaceae, of the 
power of independent development depends on the reduction, or entire 
suppression, of the activity of the root-system, and this on the absence 
of root-hairs. The parasite exercises a distinctly injurious effect on the 
vitality of the host-plant. 
Structure of Rosacese.* — M. P. Parmentier gives a detailed account 
of the anatomical structure of this order, with an essay on a natural 
classification of the species, and an anatomical description of the species 
properly so called, and of the “ morphological species.” He finds useful 
taxonomic characters in the size and form of the stomates. 
Structure and Classification of the Buxacece.j - — According to M. P. 
van Tieghem, the Buxacese must be removed from the Euphorbiacese, 
with which they are usually associated, and placed among Dicotyledones, 
near to the Ranunculacese and Geraniaceae. He divides the order into 
two sub-orders, the Buxeae ( Buxus , Buxanthus, Buxella , Notobuxus ), 
characterised by opposite decurrent leaves and nodal intercalary growth, 
the androgynous inflorescence terminating in a female flower which has 
a double perianth, the fruit a drupaceous capsule ; and the Pachysandreae 
[Trie era, Sarcococca , P achy sandra, Styloceras ), where the leaves are single 
and not decurrent, the growth internodal, the androgynous inflorescence 
with the female flowers at the base, and with a triple perianth, the fruit 
indehiscent and berry-like. The genus Simmondsia is removed from the 
order. 
Structure of Ruytsia.J — M. P. van Tieghem calls attention to several 
interesting points of structure in this type of the small Australian order 
Nuytsiacese, allied to the Lorantliaceae, but not parasitic. The fruit 
occupies an intermediate position between the achene and the berry. 
The embryo is destitute of any trace of radicle, and the number of 
cotyledons is usually 4, less often 3. In the absence of a radicle the 
structure of the embryo agrees with that of most Loranthacea?, and of 
some genera belonging to other orders, as Trajpa, Ceratophyllum , and 
some palms. The radicle is formed only during germination, and is then 
of endogenous origin, springing from the interior of the hypocotyl. The 
peculiar structure of the mature leaves, where the function of secretion 
is confined to the oily epiderm, is not manifested in the young seedling. 
The same is the case with regard to the peculiarities in tbe internal 
anatomy of the stem. 
* Physiology. 
(1) Reproduction and_Embryology. 
Fertilisation of Salisburia.§ — Prof. S. Hirase publishes another con- 
tribution to our knowledge of the process of fertilisation in Salisburia 
* Ann. Sci. Nat. (Bot.), vi. 1897 (1898) pp. 1-175 (8 pis.). 
t Op. cit., v. 1897 (1898) pp. 289-338. 
X Bull. Soc. Bot. France, xlv. (1898) pp. 213-20. 
§ Journ. Coll. Sci. Tokyo, xii. (1898) pp. 102-19 (3 pis., 2 figs.). Cf. this Journal, 
1897, p. 140. 
