The genus Thinnfeldia was seldom reported in former geological literature from Hubei. In the present paper, the following fossil plants of Thinnfeldia from Hubei are collected for the first time: Thinnfeldia elegans (sp. nov.), T. nanzhangensis (sp. nov.), T. yuananensis (sp. nov.), from Late Triassic Jiuligang Formation of the Jingmen-Dangyang Basin. It is interesting to point that the Jiuligang flora has transational characters between Yanchang flora of North China and Anyun flora of South China of Late Triassic.

The present paper describes the fossil plains found from Pingquan district, northern Hebei and Beijing. Those were collected from the Jiufotang formation of Pingquan include the following species: Acanthopteris gothani Sze, Acrostichopteris pingquan- ensis sp. nov., Acrostichopteris sp., Cladophlebis serrulata Samylina, Cladophlebis sp., Neozamites denticulatus (Kry. et Pry.) Vachrameev, Baiera gracilis Bunbury, whereas those were obtained from the Xinzhuang formation and Lushangfen formation of Tuoli group of Beijing are Condopteris bur ejensis (Zalessky) Seward, Onychiopsis elongata (Geyler) Yokoyama, Acrostichopteris sp., Ginkgo sibirica Heer and Podoza. mites rcinii Geyler. Thus, these formation (Jiufotang, Xinzhuang and Lushangfen) are believed to be of Early Cretaceous age.

A. Mongolicus is endemic, evergreen plant, in desert of China. It is also ancient relic species. Studies have indicated that A. mongolicus possesses very striking xeromorphic structures, for example, leaves possess dense epidermis, with thickened, and deeper and sunked stomata, and palisade tissues are well developed. Its water-holding power and heat resistance are also higher. These traits are beneficial to adapt drought, burning hot in summer and hard winter. Growth of A. mongolicus ia slow because its intensity of transpiration and photosynthesis are all very low.

Wikstroemia chamaedaphne is a traditional chinese medicinal herb, its flavonoid compounds of leaf, which possess beneficial effect on the treatment of hepatitis; have been isolated. By means of mixed solvents and polyamide column chromatography, four crystallinic compounds were obtained, they were 5, 7-dihydroxy-3″-methoxy flavone-4-O-mono-D-glucoside; 5, 7, 4″-trihydroxy, flavone-3-O-β-mono-D-glucoside; 5, 7, 3′, 4′-tetrahydroxy flavone-3-O-β-mono-D-glucoside; 5, 7, 3″, 4′-tetrahydroxy flavone-8-C-β-mono-D-glucoside. From ether soluble fraetion, n-hentriacontane, triacontanol, octacosanol, and 29-hydroxy-ncnacosan-3-one were obtained. These constituents were identified by spectroscopic analysis (UV, IR, NMR, MS), preparation of derivatives, hydrolysis of acid and enzyme, and determination of physico-chemical constants, respectively.

The freshwater blue-green alga Phormidium foveolarum Gem. was grown on medium containing hydrocarbons. Measurements of O2 consumption during degradation of the N-tetradecane by Phormidium foveolarum Gom. and residues of the hydrocarbon substrate were made by Warburg manometry and gas-chromatography. The results show that: (1) Phormidium foveolarum Gom. has ability to absorb and degrade the N-tetradecane and then the concentration of N-tetradecane decreased. (2) Under the dark condition the O2 consumption increased with the reaction time for hydrocarbon degradation. (3) Notable changes in cell contents of Phormidium foveolarum Gom. have been observed after it has continuously grown on the substrate containing hydrocarbon. The oil droplets appeared and more large granules have been found in the cells.

Estrone, a steroid hormone, is identified in the monoecious Cucurbitaeeous plant, Lagenaria leucantha Rusby. The content of estrone changes with developmental stages. In young seedlings with only 2–3 leaves, there was no trace of estrone. Estrone was barely detectable in seedlings with 4–6 leaves. At that time no flowers were visible. In plants with 11–13 leaves, when flowers bad appeared, the content of estrone increased greatly. It is therefore postulated that estrone may be one of the hormones controlling flowering. GA3 and CEPA were used to shift the sex expression of the plant toward the male and female directions respectively. Estrone was present in both chemically induced male and female plants, indicating estrone alone does not play any special role in sex expression. It might be the balance of the male and female hormones that controls the sex expression of the plants. It is believed that flowering and sex expression are controlled by the same set of hormones, as early postulated by Hesiop-Harrison and other workers.

The changes of adenylate pool (ATP, ADP, AMP) and energy charge (E. C.) were determined in germinating seeds of Chinese cabbage. The dry seeds contained a few ATP, most of the adenylate was in the form of AMP. After 1 h of inhibition, most of AMP was converted to ATP, and E. C. value increased rapidly. If the inhibition continued for two hours, the level of ATP increased about 35-fold, and E. C. value reached 0.51. After 24 h of germination, the ATP level in the non- germinating seeds was lower 4 times than that in the germinating seeds and E. C. value was lower too. If the seeds germinated in 3% O2, the ATP level dropped. As the seeds were transfered to air, the adenylate pool and E. C. value increased to the level of the control, then the percentage germination reached 76%. When the seeds were treated with 3% O2, 5 × 10-4 M 2, 4-dinitro phenol, 1 × 10-5 M earbonyl cyanid m-chlorophenyl hydrozone and 5 × 10-3 M iodoaeetie acid at the first 1–2 h, they inhibited the production of ATP and decreased E. C. value. Iodoaeetic acid was the most effective one among the four inhibitors. It was shown that the rate of germination was closely related to the energy charge and the adenylate pool.

Some micro-structures of Melosira varians, M. jurgensi, M. undulata and M. undulata var. normanni recovered from Miocene to Quaternary deposits in China are observed under SEM. They show that: 1). The frustule wall of M. varians is composed of two thin layers, the inner wall and the outer wall. The outer wall has two kinds of pores: micropores with a diameter of 15–60 μm, widely distributed, and mega-pores of irregular shape with a diameter of 300–800 μm, sparsely distributed on valve and girdle surfaces. The inner wall has only micro-pores with a diameter of 100 mμ. Linking spines are not observed on the valve edges of these specimens. 2). Obliquely directed lines occur on girdle surfaces of M. jurgensi. They are arranged more regularly near sulcus, and discontinuously distributed near valve surface. There are very sparsely distributed micro-pores on valve surface, and linking spines present and “T” shaped. Auxospc,res are long cylindrically shaped. 3). Two distinctly different structures are observed on girdle surface of M. undulata under SEM. One of them is lines arranged parallel to pervalval axis under light microscope. The other is smooth in appearance under low magnification, and lines composed of minute micro- pores may be observed. When magnified over × 5,000, there are about 90 lines within 10 μ. Besides, old valve jacket may be still preserved outside valves of these specimens. The upper parts of old valve jackets are composed of comparatively wider long- tudinal lines, while the lower parts composed of crossed lines (lateral and longitudinal) of same width. Linking spines are shaped like dogs teeth. There are also two layers (inner and outer) in valve walls of M. undulata var. normanni. The outer layer is composed of thinner wall of same thickened, while the inner layer of thicker well of irregular thickenes. A hillshaped protrusion may be observed at joints of various thickening wavy line as shown by the valve's dorsal view.

The paper Chiefly deals with the anatomy of the structure of the vegetative organs of Sinopodophillum emodi Wall. The structure of its root was analogous to that of the typical root of the dicotyledon, but it was very much interesting to find that the structure of its stem is something different from the character of dicotyledonous. The vascular bundles were arranged in two rows. There were 16–27 collateral bundles of various size around the cortex but there were 3–10 accessary bundles at the center of the pith. The phlcem was surrounded by the crescent shaped xylem. So, its, stem was generally similar to the structure of the atactostele of the moncotyledon. Besides that, there were obvious primary extraxylaxy fibers. Two types of the fibers could be recognized by their positions: the perivascular fibers and the primary phloem fibers. The structure of the leaf of SinopodophiUum was analogous generally to that of the dicotyledonous. There were 15–27 vascular bundles arranged in its petiole tissues and 3 aceessary bundles at its cent. er, one of which was amphivasal bundle, the rest two were the transitional forms from the collateral bundles to the amphivasal bundles.

For the culture of organs, modified B5, KU, MS, NT, 1/2 MS media were used. Callus induction and plantlet regeneration from mots, leaves, petioles, cotyledons and hypocotyls of Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels have been obtained. It was found in our experiments the following results: 1. The callus induction from the rcots has arisen rapidly and increased at a high rate and with a high differentiating frequency. 2. The phytohormones play a significant role in callus induction and differentiation. 3. The suitable combination of cytokinin (6-BA) with auxins (2, 4-D, NAA) may enhance their induction and subculture, but the effect was different on the differentiation. 4. The bud was differentiated from the embryoid and the callus.

Chunia is a monotype of Hamamelidaceae in China. The wood structure of this genus possesses some primitive properties, such as the inclining end-wall of vessel elements, the scalariform perforation plates, the absence of spiral thickening in the wall, the heterogenous rays, crystal inclusion in Cell, and scanty parenchymatous cells in the axial system. On account of its intimate relation to the genus Mytilaria, therefore, both may be represented as primitive genera in this family.

This paper deals with the pollen grains of 11 genera, 22 species in Chinese Oleaceae. A comparative study on the pollen grains was carried out by means of scanning electron microscope and light microscope. The pollen grains of the family Oleaceae are almost spheroidal, oblate and prolate, in polar view tlie majority of the pollen grains are tri-lobulate-circular, the minority are tetra-lobulate-circular and dilobulate-circular. Pollen size: (15-65) × (12- 60)μ, 3-colporate and 3-colpate the minority of the pollen grains 4-colpate and 2- colpate colpus usually distinct and the en doaperature vague. The exine oonsists of two layers, the sexine thicker than the nexine, with big reticulum or fine reticulum, the majority of the reticulum are very distinct. On the basis of the pollen size and exine ornamentation, the pollen grains are divided into following two main types: (1) The larger pellen grains and the exine with big reticulum are found in the genera: Jasminum, Nyctanthes, Ligustrum, and Syringa. (2) The smaller pollen grains and the exine with finer reticulum are found in the genera: Osmanthus, Olea, Chionanthus, Fraxinus, Forsythia, Fontanesia and Linociera. In view of the features of pollen morphology, this family is much similar to the family Itamamelidaeeae. For example, the first pollen type resembles the genus Coryiopsis of the family Hamamelidaceae, but there are some differences between them, the former with a bigger reticulate exine and without any colpal membrane, the latter with a finer reticulate apocolpium and eolpate membrane. The second pollen type is much similar to that of the genera Hamamelis and Loropetalum of family Hamamelidaceae.

A comparative observation on the rice pollen callus cultured on the medium supplemented with 2 mg/L 2,4-D and omitted 2,4-D but contained 0.5 mg/L kinetin and 0.2 mg/L NAA respectively was made by electron microscope. The callus cells when transferred to the medium containing kinetin show some changes at ultrastructural level. The numbers of mitochondria, plast and ribosome show an increase in some epidermal cells which kept an ability of active division and may be differentiated into a primordial bud. The storage materials such as lipid bodies and starch grains show sharp decrease or disappearance and the degree of vacuolation decrease in the parenchyma cells of internal callus. Besides vessel differentiation, some sieve elements appeared in the callus. The types of callus cell became various and some electron-dense cell occurred. Although above-mentioned ultrastructural changes appeared in callus cells grown under differentiation condition were true but we do not think those are specific mark for differentiating cell. More work is needed with cytochemistry and molecular biological methods to study callus cell differentiation.

Genus Pseudotaxus distributed in the Zhejiang, Hunan, Jiangxi etc. is endemic to China. Only one species is envolved in the genus. A preliminary investigation on chemical components of Pseudotaxus is reported in the present paper. Three crystalline substances have been isolated from trunk of P. chienii grown in Zhejiang and have been identified as llβ, 22-dihydroxyhopane (Ⅰ), β-sitosterol (Ⅱ) and tsugalacton (Ⅲ) respectively by chemical and spectral (IR, NMR, MS) analyses.

Seven crystalline substances from the aqueous extract of fresh stems and leaves of Chinese folk medicine Cterodendron bungei Stend. (Verbenaceae) were isolated. They were identified on the bases of physical and spectral, i.e.: magnesium lactate, succinic acid, potassium nitrate, anisic acid, vanillic acid and maltol. The identification of constituent Ⅶ in minute quantity is in progress.