“ As development takes place in the monocarpellary flower, one side of both ovary and ovule greatly outgrows the other so that the micropyle of the anatropous ovule faces the style, which appears to come from the base of the ovary. In the polycarpellary flower, the conjunction with other carpels pre- vents any one carpel bending to bring the style into a basal position. But the ovule becomes bent in the same direction as in the terminal flower, the funiculus being lifted and folded against the ovule by the elongation of the common axis of the three carpels. ”

“ Root-hairs are conspicuously developed on the oldest part near the surface of the soil and seem to be persistent there. A few inches below the surface of the ground there are usually none, or only shrivelled dead hairs, and the root is sometimes thinner because of the exfoliation of the outermost layers of the cortex after the formation of an exodermis. The youngest part has no root-hairs, as a rule ; the root being quite smooth for one or two inches behind the tip, then becoming slightly lumpy on account of branch roots pushing out from below, but still without any sign of root-hairs. ”

“ To one who has the opportunity of visiting the Desert, the flora will at once appear striking and in many respects different from that inhabiting other more favoured provinces. The general barrenness of the country, the dry practically rainless climate and the scorching heat of the sun, not to omit the general usceptibility to the wind, have so modified the external organs of the desert plants, that it is but natural to conclude that the internal structure and the processes that are going on in the plants must in like way have been acted upon by these external factors. ”

“ Taking only the species which occur in India it appears to me that they fall naturally into eight groups, or sub-genera, in each of which a tendency to reduction of the floral parts continually shows itself, so that Ruhland's arrangement according to the number of the parts and the perfection of the flower cuts across the natural groupings. ”

“ With Spinifex squarrosus no tubular sheath is formed, for the secretion does not cause the sand particles to adhere. It appears to act rather as a lubricant or perhaps as a resisting layer to protect the piliferous layer from damage by sharp grains of sand. Spinifex is not related closely to any of the grasses noted by Price as possessing the mucilage layer. The genus consists of only four species, occurring on sandy shores of India, Malaya and N. Australia.
The Water-supply.
Every one knows that sand a very few inches below the surface is damp, as also is any ordinary soil. ”

“ The chief object of the Journal will be the publication of original matter, and in order that any work may see the light without undue delay, the editor is prepared to issue the Journal monthly, provided of course that there is sufficient matter to go to press. At the same time he feels constrained to remind Indian Botanists that if they really want the Journal to live they must support it by sending to him the papers they would otherwise have sent elsewhere. ”

“ In a single homogeneous tract like the black soil referred to the habit of a species is likely to remain fairly constant. But there is little doubt that most of the species of Alysicarpus are highly plastic and react strongly to environment ; and this plasticity is probably the main cause of the confusion which now exists as regards the species with the rugose lomentum, since the superficial (somatic) differences between individuals of the same species are often more obvious than the morphological (germinal) differences between the species. ”

“ In particular I am convinced that where in the same habitat two clearly distinguishable forms exist side by side and do not merge they must necessarily be true species. For this reason the field worker is an indispensable complement to the herbarium systematist, inasmuch as he is able to observe the innumerable plants around him, and note their demeanour. ”

“ Perhaps this accounts for the formation of an exodermis and the absence of root-hairs on the lower roots of Spinifex squarrosus.
Finally there is another condition different from that of either a desert or sand-field. The air blown across from the sea is damp. It is never dry by the sea, except when the land breeze blows strongly it is damp close to the water. The strand-plants therefore are xerophytic in the sense of having to depend on very little fresh water, but in regard to the water lost by evaporation from the leaves have much less to fear than even mesophytic inland plants. ”