616 
SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 
opening of anthers, supports the view of Leclerc du Sablon that the 
most important factor in the movements is the fibrous layer of the wall 
of the anther. This great capacity for contraction of the cell-wall is 
necessarily associated with a corresponding molecular structure. 
Caryopsis and Endosperm of Grasses.* — Mr. L. H. Pammel states 
that there are wide differences in the structure of the fruit in the 
different tribes of grasses. The development both of the pericarp and 
testa varies greatly in different genera. The nucellus is never entirely 
absent, though often much compressed. An aleurone layer is also always 
present. The endosperm always contains protein, though much reduced 
in the starch-cells, except in the aleurone layer, where no starch occurs. 
The starch-cells next to the endosperm contain more protein than ihe 
interior of the endosperm. Oil is also present in small quantities. 
Fasciation of Stems.f — Herr E. Kiister has investigated the ana- 
tomical changes which take place in the fasciation of stems in woody 
plants, — Ficus, Fagus, Quercus , Platanus, and Hedera. The growth of 
the cambium is retarded by the pressure; in Ficus this is accompanied 
by increased activity of growth and cell-division in the primary cortex. 
In Ficus slipularis the parenchyme of the medullary rays becomes ligni- 
fied. Portions of cambium always become enclosed in the cortex and 
bark. In Hedera closed cambium rings are sometimes formed round 
these inclosures. 
Adventitious Buds of Trees.J — M. C. de Candolle has established a 
constant difference between the normal and the adventitious buds of 
trees. The latter he states must bo regarded as new individuals of the 
same species as the tree from which they spring, or as apogamic embryos. 
The first leaves of shoots from adventitious buds have all the characters 
of the young leaves of the species- This is illustrated in the two differ- 
ent kinds of leaf in Eucalyptus globulus. In the walnut the pinme of 
the young leaves are denticulate, while those of the adult tree are quite 
entire. In the horse-chestnut the first two leaves have the same form as 
those which succeed them, but always differ from them in the absence of 
intramedullary xylem in the large veins. The leaves of the hornbeam 
present a similar variation. In all these cases the first leaves from the 
adventitious buds resemble in form and structure the first leaves of the 
young plant. 
Interfoliar Buds in Pinus.§ — Mr. A.W. Bortli wick states that pines 
possess four kinds of bud, — apical buds, whorl-buds (including dormant 
buds or cryptoblasts), interfoliar buds (brachyoblasts), and axillary buds 
in the axils of primary leaves in the young plant. The interfoliar buds, 
which are specially described, occur between the leaves at the apex of 
a branch of limited growth. 
The same author finds, || in Pinus Laricio, “ spurs” with indifferently 
2, 3, or 4 leaves. 
* Trans. Acad. Sci. St. Louis, viii. (1899) pp. 201-20 (3 pis.). Cf. this Journal, 
ante, p. 49. 
t Pringsheim’s Jahrb. f. wiss. Bot., xxxiii. (1899) pp. 487-512 (1 pi. and 3 figs.). 
X Arch. Sci. Phys. et Nat., viii. (1899) pp. 100-1. 
