COOK—THE COCONUT PALM IN AMERICA. 827 
case of the coconut the embryo lies inside the largest of the three 
thin spots or ‘‘eyes” at the base of the shell, and the soft spongy 
cotyledon grows out from this point to fill the whole interior cavity 
of the nut and then continues to digest and absorb until all of the 
surrounding food materials have been taken over and conveyed into 
the growing parts of the young plant. 
Palm seeds with thick hard shells like the coconut are provided 
with special channels or pores for the exit of the embryo, covered 
only by a thin seale of the shell material or a specially formed lid or 
plug easily pushed out of the way. When germination finally occurs 
the base of the cotyledon grows out of the seed, carrying with it the 
plumule or leaf bud of the young plant, which later emerges from 
the cotyledon by a split on one side. 
With the relatives of the coconut, which have not thick husks, the 
second phase of germination, the escape of the young plantlet by the 
opening of the cotyledon, necessarily takes place outside the husk, 
but with the coconut the whole process of germimation may be com- 
pleted inside the husk. Coconuts buried in the moist soil germinate 
without any special assistance from the husk, and even without wait- 
ing for the cotyledon to grow to full size by absorbing the food mate- 
vials of the endosperm. It is said to be customary In some localities 
to remove the husk before planting. But if the husk is allowed to 
remain intact the coconut is able to germinate without even being 
placed in the ground. And not the germination alone, but the sub- 
sequent growth of the young plant may go on for months without any 
external contacts, the leaves often attaining considerable size before 
the roots have made any external growth beyond the fibers of the 
husks. The young coconut seedling, with its ample provision of 
food and moisture and its fibrous husk for the accommodation of its 
roots, might be described as a self-potted plant. It is to a very large 
extent independent of external conditions during the early stages of 
growth, which are much more precarious for all other palms. The 
preference of gardeners for coconut fiber as a potting material may 
be accepted as a testimonial of the success of the palm in meeting 
the needs of the seedlings. (PI. 59, figs. 1, 2.) | 
For palms that are natives of humid, densely forested regions such 
a provision would be superfluous and disadvantageous, for with them 
it is a question of increasing the number of seeds and seedlings and 
of thus multiplying the chances that some of the seedlings will find 
favorable situations, with light enough to permit them to grow. 
Natural selection in the form of competition of other vegetation 
would discriminate against the evolution of an excessively large seed 
in aspecies tolerant of shade. But for a palm that lives in an open 
country with long, dry seasons, the protection of the seed and the 
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51004°—vou 14, pr 2—10——4 
