72 
Ohio Naturalist. 
[Vol. 1, No. & 
Evidently these buds retain more of the nature of the mother 
plant than is common in flowers. It is unknown to me whether 
similar observations have been made before. But it would be of 
interest to make experiments with different plants. Would the 
receptacles root and sprout if detached after flowering and fertiliza- 
tion have taken place ? Would the buds sprout when left in situ on 
the mother plant, after the flowering parts had been removed, the 
receptacle only left in place? Will the buds of other genera of 
Cacteae.and other similar succulent plants behave in the same way, 
under favorable conditions? 
So-called viviparous plants are, as is well known, rather common, 
e. g. among Gramineae, Cyperaceae, Polygoneae. But there the 
actual flower parts develop into leaves, from which they had origi- 
nally been derived, and while yet remaining on the parent plant. 
New Philadelphia , Ohio. 
NOTE ON THE INVOLUCRAL LEAVES OF SYNDESMON. 
F. H. Bueglehaus. 
Syndesmon thalictroides is described in Britton & Brown’s Flora 
as having sessile involucral leaves, which character is contradicted 
in the plants growing in the vicinity of Toledo. Careful observation 
during the past season fails to reveal a single instance of sessile 
involucral leaves, and most of the specimens examined have these 
leaves borne on petioles from one-fourth to one-half inch in length. 
Should like to hear from others concerning this feature of one of our 
most beautiful and dainty spring flowers. 
Toledo , Ohio. 
COMPETITION IN BOTANY FOR OHIO SCHOOLS. 
W. A. Kellerman. 
Whatever may contribute to a more direct and real study of the 
plant kingdom on the part of the pupils can well be encouraged by 
the teacher. It is an unfortunate fact that in reference to a course 
in botany the notion largely prevails that it consists of lesson-work 
with a text-book like a course in history or algebra. It is often 
more dreaded than the latter because of the supposed necessity of 
learning a long list of difficult technical terms. Few teachers would 
be willing to give up the use of the text-book entirely and it is not 
at all necessary that they should. But every teacher can now 
choose a modern book of botany from the fairly long list that is 
offered by American publishers. These are not mainly terminology 
nor written with the chief aim of enabling the pupil, after having 
gone through a sufficient number of chapters, to “analyze ” flowers. 
