NOTES. 
THE PAPILLAE IN THE EPIDERMOID AL LAYER OF THE CALAMI- 
TEAN ROOT. — Miss Stopes in her note in Annals of Botany , September, 1903, 
p. 793, on ‘the Epidermoidal layer of Calamite roots’ refers to the ‘fibrous frag- 
ments ’ which project from the thickened outer membrane of the cells into their 
cavities, stating that it is not possible to ascertain their minute structure and that she 
is not aware of any similar appearance in recent plants that would throw light on 
their nature. I should like to put forward the suggestion that they represent the 
short arrested branches of a fungal mycelium, a suggestion which I base upon their 
similarity with fungal hyphae observed in other parts of the roots and upon the 
occurrence of similar papillae in recent plants, the fungal nature of which is beyond 
doubt. 
Fungi are very commonly present in the roots of Catamites, in some cases only 
in the outer layers, in others penetrating to the central tissues ; often hyphae can be 
seen closely surrounding the roots. 
The outer walls of the epidermoidal cells of Calamitean roots are generally much 
thickened and often possess a stratified appearance, darker and lighter layers alter- 
nating. The deep clefts between 
the cells, which are noticeable 
in many of the roots (see Fig. 58), 
probably afforded favourable 
places for the Fungus to enter, 
and the lighter layers, in which 
splitting seems to have some- 
times taken place, possibly offered 
less resistance to fungal attacks. 
Some specimens show apparent 
sporangia attached to hyphae in 
the clefts between two neigh- 
bouring epidermal cells. Doubt- 
less in many cases the Fungus 
observed was of saprophytic 
nature, but the excellent pre- 
servation of the delicate tissues of some of the rootlets containing Fungi suggests 
that they were also subject to attacks of Fungi while in the living condition. Whether 
the Fungus was of parasitic or symbiotic nature is impossible to say. According to 
Stahl 1 and Janse, mycorrhizae do not occur in the Equisetaceae of the present day, 
1 Stahl, Der Sinn der Mycorrhizenbildung. Pringsheim’s Jahrbiicher, T900, p. 570. 
[Annals of Botany, Vol. XVIII. No. LXXII. October, 1904.] 
