Morphologie, Teratologie, Befruchtung, Cytologie. 371 
Burlingame, L. L., The Staminate Cone and Male Gameto- 
phyte of Podocarpus. (Botanical Gazette. Vol. XLVI. p. 164—178. 
Pis. 8—9. 1908.) 
The forms studied were Podocarpus totarra HalliiP. nivalis 
and P. elongata. All show two prothallial cells, which may or may 
not divide. As many as eight prothallial cells may be derived from 
these two primary ones. A stalk cell and a body cell, dilfering little 
from each other in appearance, lie side by side, but it was not 
determined whether both might produce male cells. At the time of 
shedding, there are a number of cells or free nuclei in the pollen 
grain. The number of chromosomes is 12 in the gametophyte and 
24 in the sporophyte. 
No attempt is made to locate Podocarpns phylogenetically. 
Charles J. Chamberlain (Chicago). 
Coulter, J. M., The Embryo-sac and Embryo of Gnetum 
Gnemon. (Botanical Gazette. Vol. XLVI. p. 43—49. PI. 7. 1908.) 
This paper describes stome stages hitherto lacking in accounts 
of Gnetum Gnemon and corrects some misinterpretations. 
The “antipodal tissue” at the base of the embryo-sac belongs to 
the sporophyte and not to the gametophyte, which at this Stage 
contains only free nuclei. 
The fertilized egg elongates like a suspensor and shows both 
free nuclear division and cleavage walls. The end of the suspensor 
like structure becomes swollen and both free nuclear divisions and 
cleavage walls occur until finally a multicellular embryo is organized. 
There are two sets of vascular Strands in the integument, as in 
the lower Gymnosperms. 
The chromosome numbers are 12 and 24. 
Charles J. Chamberlain (Chicago). 
Cutting, E. M., On the Meaning of the Various Forms of 
the Male Gametes in the Pines and allied Conifers. (The 
New Phytologist, Vol. VII. p. 171—276. 1908.) 
The author has examined several pollen-tubes of Pinus sylvestris 
and in all cases found only one cell enclosing two unequal nuclei. 
Former observations on this and other species of Pinus are consi- 
dered and it is concluded that P. sylvestris falls into line with the 
other species of Pinus examined by Miss Ferguson who found 
unequal male nuclei lying in one cell. It is suggested that the 
reduction of the male cells is connected with the differentiation of 
a smaller number of archegonia. An unpublished Observation of 
V. H. Blackman, communicated to the author, is described, in 
which the pollen-tube was observed to grow down the side of the 
prothallus for some little distance and then later turn on and pene- 
trate the thallus. It is suggested that this Observation “strengthens 
the view that the ancestors of the Pines at one time possessed a 
wider distribution of archegonia than they do at present,” and also 
that the variations and inequalities of the male apparatus of the 
conifers are to be connected with changes in the female apparatus. 
V. H. Blackman. 
