The Anatomy of Palm-Roots. 
^3 
comparing these roots with those of certain other Monocotyledons 
one would probably come to the conclusion that the central 
parenchyma together with some of the sclerotic tissue ( e.g. in Fig. 
74) corresponded to the parenchymatous pith of a root of the type 
of Acorns Calamus. In any case it is more convenient to include 
all tissue internal to the innermost vascular elements as pith, 
whether it be sclerotic or parenchymatous or formed of both 
tissues. It should also be pointed out that the sclerenchyma, 
which unites the primary xylem and phloem, is described as part 
of the vascular cylinder, though if it happened to remain 
parenchymatous, as the corresponding tissue does in many roots, it 
would then probably be excluded as ground-tissue in Dr. Drabble’s 
terminology, it would seem that an example of this kind is shown 
by the two types of roots produced by Corypha umbraculifera , but 
the description (p. 460) is insufficient to make this clear. 
An interesting and exceptional type of root-structure is found 
in Lalania Commersonii, where the phloem groups are not restricted 
to the periphery of the stele but are scattered throughout the 
xylem. 
Though Dr. Drabble’s theoretical conclusions appear to lack 
due consideration of the special nature of the case he is dealing 
with, the paper contains many interesting observations and Plate 
50 should be specially referred to as an example of a clear and 
useful method of illustrating the general characters of the vascular 
structure. 
L. A. B. 
FORMATION OF A COMMITTEE FOR THE SURVEY 
AND STUDY OF BRITISH VEGETATION. 
MEETING of British botanists engaged in work on the 
survey of the vegetation of different areas of the British 
Isles was held at Leeds on December 3rd, 1904. The object of 
the meeting was to discuss the present position of the vegetation- 
survey begun about ten years ago by the late Robert Smith in 
Scotland, and since continued by others. 
