MB. CR0CKEB OS THE GERMINATION OE CYBTA.NDBE.E. 65 



Pinzona coriacea, Mart, et Zucc. in Regensb. Flora, 1832, a. Beibl. p. 77. 

 It is a shrub or twiner, with the foliage, inflorescence, and flowers of C. ame- 

 ricana, but glabrous or nearly so ; the fruit is also the same in its peculiar 

 shape and connexion of the carpels, but it is rather more succulent and 

 apparently indehiscent, although, according to Spruce, it is green, and 

 scarcely a true berry. This circumstance, unaccompanied by any other 

 difference in habit or character, appears to us quite insufficient to separate 

 generically two plants forming together in both these points a marked 

 group among Delimece. On the same principle we are not inclined to 

 adopt the genus recently proposed by Triana, under the name of Ricaurtea, 

 for certain species of Doliocarpus, in which, with the habit, inflorescence, 

 and flow ers of that genus, the fruits, although red as in the other species, 

 are les,s succulent than in them, and open in two valves when quite ripe. 

 Important as is in most cases the distinction between a berry and a capsule, 

 because usually accompanied by other characters, we cannot consider it so 

 essential a one per se as to be always absolutely generic invitd naturd. 



Notes on the Germination of certain species of Cvbtandrej:. 

 By C. W. Oboc^er, Foreman of the Propagation Depart- 

 ment, Royal Gardens, Kew. Communicated by J. D. 

 Hooker, Esq., M.D., F.R.S., F.L.S. 



[Read April 19th, I860.] 



About two years ago I was much struck by the singular mode 

 of growth of Streptocarpus polyanthus, Hook, (a plant then newly 

 introduced from Natal), and determined to watch its progress from 

 the earliest stage. At that time we had but few seeds of it, and I 

 but little time to attend to them. I saw enough, however, to 

 stimulate my curiosity. Within the last few months I have had 

 the opportunity of again observing the germination of this species 

 and also of several others allied to it ; and as this process appears 

 to me to be different from anything I have seen in other plants, 

 and as I find no mention made of it in any of the books to which I 

 have access, I will briefly describe the peculiarities it exhibits. 



In its adult state, Streptocarpus polyanthus consists of one cor- 

 date-oblong, rugose, downy leaf, about a foot in length, undulate- 

 crenate at the margin. This leaf is one of the cotyledons, which 

 has expanded to so remarkable a degree and become quite foli- 

 aceous. It lies flat— closely pressed upon the surface o£ the soil- 

 but without attempting to form roots. The flower-scapes rise 

 from the sinus of this leaf, each bearing a panicle, which is 

 generally once or twice bifid, and produces a pair of flowers in 

 the fork. 



The seeds, which are exalbuminous, arc about one-fiftieth of an 



