1914) Smith,— Plurality of Seeds in Acorns of Quercus Prinus 41 
* PRENANTHES RACEMOSA Mx. One or two plants along Central 
Vermont Railroad, Swanton, 25 August (Blake 3156). Perhaps 
introduced. 
STOUGHTON, MASSACHUSETTS. 
PLURALITY OF SEEDS IN ACORNS OF QUERCUS PRINUS. 
CHARLES PIPER SMITH. 
A LITTLE more than a year ago my colleague, Mr. B. W. Anspon, 
brought me an interesting acorn of the chestnut oak, Quercus Prinus L. 
Two hypocotyls were protruding from the apical end of this nut and 
dissection brought to light two perfect seeds. Mr. Anspon had been 
attracted by the large size of the acorns and was much surprised to find 
many of them with two sprouts in evidence. As he had never seen or 
heard of two-seeded acorns, he brought the matter to my attention. 
My interest was aroused at once, both because of the size and weight 
of the nuts, and because my attention had been called, but a few days 
before, to a two-seeded acorn of Q. alba L. discovered by one of my 
students. 
Following directions furnished by Mr. Anspon, I soon visited the 
locality of the chestnut oaks, two miles east of 
College Park, and found, presumably, the very 
trees from which came his specimens. I pro- 
ceeded to collect all the two-seeded acorns I 
could find under the two trees and the final 
count gave the number of fifty-four. Several 
one-seeded nuts, almost as large as the two- 
seeded ones, were also collected, and four 
three-seeded ones added more interest to the 
case. Almost all the acorns had germinated 
at this date, Nov. 17th., the few unsprouted 
specimens found being evidently defective and 
incapable of germination. Many of the sprout- Fig. 1. A 3-seeded 
- ] acorn with 3 hypocotyls 
ing acorns were lying uncovered on the surface emerging at apex. 
of the ground, though few thus exposed had the 
radicle penetrating the soil. 
