Members assembled in Biological Hall. President Schaffner called the meeting to order. Officers were elected as follows: Osborn president, Tyler vice-president, Hine secretary.
Long, Wyman, Ball, Hambleton and Dunlap were elected to membership.
The retiring president, Professor Schaffner, gave the address of the evening. He had for his subject “The Life History and Cytology of Erythronium.”
Landacre and others took part in a discussion of the paper.
J. H. S.
NEWS AND NOTES.
The tenth annual meeting of the Ohio State Academy of Science will be held at the Ohio State University, Columbus, on December 26 and 27, 1900.
Petioles of the Cottonwood.—The leaves of the Cottonwood as well as some other species of Populus have an interesting light relation. If one looks at a vigorous shoot, the leaves are seen to be arranged in the profile position around the stem. This is accomplished by means of a very simple device. The petiole is much flattened next to the blade and is quite flexible. The flattening is transverse to the plane of the blade and on this account the leaf will assume the vertical position, no difference in what way it is attached or twisted. This adaptation is also responsible for the musical rustle one hears when resting in the shade of the Cottonwood. The leaves are very smooth and nearly alike on both sides. Because of these and other adaptations, the Cottonwood is one of the most successful of our semi-xerophytic trees and one of the last stragglers to be found in the western part of the great plains.
J. H. S.
Ohio State University