1 1 24 
Notes. 
superior, while the ovules are wholly exposed owing to the disappearance ot the pro- 
tecting ovary- wall. This specimen was discovered among a batch of normally 
flowering plants in the Conservatory of the Royal Gardens, Kew, and proved to be 
the only example despite a careful search. The two petals had the colour and form 
usually associated with those of staminate flowers, the stamens numbering thirteen 
and being in every point a replica of normal ones, except that several of their connectives 
were subacute at their apices instead of truncate. Like the stamens, the styles origi- 
nated from the base of the superior, exposed, ovuliferous lamellae, which latter 
appeared twisted and folded among themselves, and thickly studded with normally 
anatropous ovules of a dingy translucent grey. Three of the styles were perfectly 
normal, the remaining two exhibiting fusion with stamens. An instance of a some- 
what similar nature 1 has been recorded and figured by Professor P. Magnus, but here 
the flower was undoubtedly of a more pistillate character, the gynaecium varying be- 
tween a superior and an inferior condition, and the normal stamens being exceedingly 
few in number. 
R. A. DUMMER. 
Kew. 
THE MEDULLARY RAYS OF F AG ACEAE.— Professor J. W. Moll has 
kindly directed my attention to a valuable paper that I overlooked in my recent work, 
namely, ‘ Die Gestalt der Markstrahlen im sekundaren Holze,’ written by K. Zijlstra 
(‘ Recueil des Travaux botaniques Nderlandais,’ vol. v, 1908), who traced individual 
rays of Fagus and Quercus through numerous successive annual rings and was thus 
able to give a complete record of their change of shape and height. Pie confirmed 
L. Jost’s observation that the tall primary rays of Fagus sylvatica undergo dissection 
in an outward direction. He also showed that when the secondary rays of this 
species are traced outwards they are seen to increase in height, to be joined by others 
which after linking become fused with them, and finally to fray out into more or 
less separate smaller rays. Zijlstra also demonstrated similar increase in height and 
outward fraying of the secondary rays of Quercus Robur. He thus proved that in 
Fagaceae the linking up of separate rays from within is not confined either to the 
annual rings of the seedling stem or even to primary medullary rays, and that both 
primary and secondary rays can fray outwardly into separate smaller ones. 
A correction as regards fact is required in connexion with J. W. Bailey’s paper 
occupying pp. 647-61 of this volume. Bailey refers to a specimen of wood that 
I described as belonging to ‘ Quercus ( Pasania ) fenestraia (Q. spicata )’ (sic), and goes 
on to write that he ‘recently examined material of Q. spicata . . . and is unable to 
agree with Professor Groom in stating that vessels are absent from the depressed 
segments between the approximated pairs of foliar rays ’. 
Bailey’s attachment of the name Q. spicata to my material, and his statement as 
above quoted, imply that we both examined the same species of Quercus , and that the 
rays which I discussed were necessarily primary. Neither of these two implications 
1 Sitzungsb. Bot. Ver. Brandenburg, xxvi (1884), 7 2 > f- 2 * 
