Notes. 611 ON A SUSPENSOR IN HELMINTHOSTACHYS ZEYLANICA.-In an account of the prothallus and young plant of Helminthostachys published in vol. xvi of the Annals of Botany the description of the embryo was omitted owing to lack of material. The few arrested embryos which were found only showed that' the young embryo soon becomes deeply seated'. Re-examination of these embryos suggested that their likeness to those of Botrychium obliquum, as figured by Bower' from preparations of H. Lyon, might

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... due to the development of a suspensor in Helminthostachys. The study of serial sections of a number of young plants still attached to the prothallus has fully confirmed this interpretation. A multicellular suspensor, in which two tiers can be distinguished, appears to be constantly present. It closely resembles that of B. obliquum as figured by Lyon, 2 but in Helminthostachys the plant is attached to the prothallus by a large foot. A full account of this feature of the young plant will shortly be given. It seems advisable, however, to complete the account of the young plant already published, by recording the fact of the existence of a suspensor without delay. This is especially the case since the discovery of a suspensor in the embryos of Botrychium obliquum and Danaea 3 has shown that this organ is not a peculiarity of the Lycopodiales among the Vascular Cryptogams, and directed attention to its significance.