710 Mr. Brown on the Organs and Mode of. 
deous plants as forming the whole body of the nucleus, and 
consequently being destitute of albumen, agrees with the ac- 
count first I believe published by M. Du Petit Thouars*, and 
very soon after by the late excellent Richardt. 
The only other remark I have to make on the fructification 
of this family, is, that the seed itself, as well as its funiculus, 
is entirely without vessels, and that the funiculus, which in the 
ripe seed is inserted into the testa close to one side of its open 
base, can hardly be traced beyond that point. 
I shall conclude my observations on Orchidez with a notice 
of some points of their general structure, which chiefly relate to 
the cellular tissue. 
In each cell of the epidermis of a great part of this family, 
especially of those with membranaceous leaves, a single circular 
areola, generally somewhat more opake than the membrane of 
the cell, is observable. This areola, which is more or less 
distinctly granular, is slightly convex, and although it seems 
to be on the surface is in reality covered by the outer lamina 
of the cell. There is no regularity as to its place in the cell; it 
is not unfrequently however central or nearly so. 
As only one areola belongs to each cell, and as in many cases 
where it exists in the common cells of the epidermis it is also 
visible in the cutaneous glands or stomata, and in these is always 
double,—one being on each side of the limb,—it is highly pro- 
bable that the cutaneous gland is in all cases composed of two 
cells of peculiar form, the line of union being the longitudinal 
axis of the disk or pore. 
This areola, or nucleus of the cell as perhaps it might be 
termed, is not confined to the epidermis, being also found not 
only in the pubescence of the surface, particularly when jointed, 
* Hist. des Orchid. p. 19. T Mém. du Mus. d' Hist, Nat. iv. p. 41. 
as 
