ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 
491 
elements of the future blossom can, in many of them, be readily recog- 
nized at that time. In some cases the buds are formed underground. 
Inferior Ovaries.* — M. P. Duchartre bases most of his remarks on 
this subject on the ovary of the Pomifereae. The structure of the cupular 
ovary can be demonstrated by the organogeny, the anatomy, and by 
certain teratological facts connected with that organ. The organogeny 
of Pyrus malus and P. communis has been carefully described, the five 
carpels being first seen as five projections on the internal curvature of 
the floral axis. The author concludes by stating that the view of 
Naudin and Decaisne appears to be the correct one, that of a carpellary 
ovary inclosed in a receptacular cupule and adhering to it. 
Influence of Moisture on Dehiscent Fruits.t — Prof. B. D. Halsted 
and Mr. D. G. Fairchild describe the mode of dehiscence of the capsule 
or other form of fruit of a number of American plants, the dispersion of 
the seeds being greatly assisted by the hygroscopic properties of the 
pericarp, or of some organ attached to the fruit, as the awn in the case 
of some grasses, or the pappus of Compositse. 
Geocarpous, Amphicarpous, and Heterocarpous Fruits.^ — Herr E. 
Huth enumerates the various geocarpous and amphicarpous, as well as 
the “ rhizocarpous ” species of plants, understanding by the last term 
those woody plants which, in addition to the normal aerial, produce 
underground flowers and fruits, such as Cynometra cauli flora, Theobroma 
Cacao, and Anona rhizantha. He also gives a list of species, belonging 
to a great variety of natural orders, which produce two different kinds 
of fruit. 
Porosity of the Fruit of Cucurbitace8e.§— M. H. Devaux gives the 
details of some experiments on the fruits of Cucurbita maxima and C. 
melanosperma. The following are the principal conclusions: — (1) The 
internal atmosphere of the fruit of Cucurbitacese communicates with the 
external air by means of stomates and lenticels. (2) The proportion of 
oxygen present in the internal atmosphere is nearly the same as that in 
the air ; the amount of carbon dioxide was, however, found to be less in 
the formula case, in the analyses performed by the author. 
Development of the Integument of the Seed.|| — M. M. Brandza 
has made a detailed examination of the different modes of development 
of the integument of the mature seed from that of the ovule. These 
may be classified under two heads, — those in which the ovule has a 
single, and those in which it has a double integument. Under the 
latter head three different cases present themselves : — (1) The seed has 
only a single envelope, proceeding from the outer integument of the 
ovule, or, at least, from a part of it ; (2) the two envelopes of the ovule 
develope into the two envelopes of the seed; (3) the nucellus enters 
into the composition of the inner integument of the seed. The first 
of these cases occurs only in the Ranunculacese, the Papilionaceae, the 
* Bull. Soc. Bot. France, xxxviii. (1891) pp. 28-38. 
f Bull. Torrey Bot. Club, xviii. (1891) pp. 81-4 (1 pi.). 
X Samml. Naturw. Vortrage, x. (1890) 32 pp. See Bot. Centralbl., xlv. (1891) 
p. 381. § Rev. Gen. de Bot. (Bonnier), iii. (1891) pp. 49-56 (1 fig.). 
y Rev. Gen. de Bot. (Bonnier), iii. (1891) pp. 1-32, 71-84, 105-26, 150-65, 
229-40 (10 pis.). 
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