TRbooora 
JOURNAL OF 
THE NEW ENGLAND BOTANICAL CLUB 
Vol. 2 December, 1900 No. 24 
POLYEMBRYONY IN SPIRANTHES CERNUA. 
R. G. Leavitt 
In the seed of Spiranthes cernua, I find that there is ordinarily 
more than one embryo. When this fact was first noticed, it was sus- 
pected that the occurrence might be local ; inasmuch as, while the poly- 
embryony is seen from a glance at the seeds or ovules at almost any 
stage, the case seems not heretofore to have been reported. Curtis 
(Bull. Torr. Bot. Club, vol. xx., p. 188) figured the seed, and he found 
but a single embryo. Material from a distance, however, kindly sent 
to me from Webster, Massachusetts, by Mr. L. J. Spalding, and from 
Toronto by Dr. Jeffrey, shows the same condition as the local material. 
Seed out of an herbarium specimen from Iowa is likewise polyem- 
bryonic. 
Two spikes collected respectively in Melrose and in Beverly, Massa- 
chusetts, showed single embryos. One of these spikes was labelled 
* flowers yellowish.” I have found a small plot of plants that have, 
also, a normal embryology. All these latter plants are vigorous 
specimens, and might perhaps be referred to the yellowish variety, 
if such a variety may be distinguished. Other plants characterized 
by long and dense spikes and yellow-tinged flowers have, however, 
displayed the polyembryonic trait. 
The normal embryology — of which, with the abnormal, I hope 
soon to publish a fuller account — is interesting. The sexually de- 
rived embryo develops no suspensor at the micropylar end of the em- 
bryo-sac. It early establishes a connection with the opposite extrem- 
ity, and from that quarter draws its nourishment. I may mention 
that I have readily found the pollen tubes applied to the embryo-sacs at 
the time of fertilization, and masses of empty tubes persisting in the 
