N. E. BROWN, SOME NOTES ON SEEDS AS MICROSCOPIC OBJECTS. 309 



A native of the Orient, extending into the north- west Himalaya ; 

 it is occasionally met with in cultivation. 



Cephalipterum Drummondii (Compositae). In this case 

 it is not the seed itself, but the pappus with which it is crowned 

 that claims our attention. The hairs of the pappus are bright 

 lemon yellow and in form something like a small feather dusting- 

 brush, having a flattened stalk or shaft with short spine-like 

 hairs along each edge, with the top terminating in a thick tuft 

 of spreading and recurving hairs. A native of Western 

 Australia, and not in cultivation. 



Pterospora andromedea (Monotropeae). If seeds were, 

 classified according to their beauty, this plant would assuredly 

 be mentioned with those in the front rank. The body of the 

 seed is very minute, of a dull yellow-brown colour, ellipsoid in 

 form, with numerous longitudinal ridges ; at one end it expands 

 into an elegant fan -shaped membrane of white gauze-like net- 

 work, many times larger than the body of the seed, and forms 

 a beautiful appendage to it, which is doubtless of use in aiding 

 its dispersal by wind. A native of North America ; not in 

 cultivation. 



Nemesia strumosa (Scrophulariaceae). This common garden 

 plant has one of the most beautiful seeds known to me. A broad 

 wing of elegant lace-like structure surrounds the body of the 

 seed, which is covered with a deeply honeycombed structure, 

 having the cells compressed lengthwise to the seed, and mingled 

 with or arising from them are several short inflated club-shaped 

 processes marked with spiral thickenings on their cell-walls, all 

 of which are pure white. 



Several species of this genus have very pretty seeds, but I have 

 seen none that are more beautiful than those of jW strumosa, 

 which, apart from its seeds, is remarkable for the very great 

 range of variability in the colour of its flowers in a wild state. 

 The first year of its introduction into this country, plants grown 

 from wild seeds produced over fifteen distinct variations of colour. 

 It is a native of Cape Colony. 



Picrorhiza Kurrooa (Scrophulariaceae). The seeds of this 

 plant may to a certain extent be compared with the painted 

 actress as seen on the stage, and at short range in broad day- 

 light. For when viewed with artificial light, arranged as above 

 mentioned, these seeds are very beautiful, but are not seen to 

 such advantage and may even seem somewhat disappointing 

 when viewed by daylight. Here we have the narrowly ellipsoid 



