374 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [1892. 



lows. Comparing the points here made with specimens of Gaylussacia 

 dumosa before me, the stigma may be seen to be disc-shaped, as in 

 Ptjrola, with, however, ten stigmatic points on the margin of the 

 disc, indicating a 10-carpellary structure. The ten flat anthers 

 press closely against the style, and can be safely taken as the ana- 

 logues of the ten adherent scales through which the pistil seems to 

 protrude in Monotropa. 



Taking up now Pyrola rotundifolia, we find, in the earlier stages, 

 such a wheel-shaped disc in the stigma as may be seen in Mono- 

 tropa, but with age they advance beyond the membranous connec- 

 tive and thus give us the " 5-rayed stigma " of authors. 



If we now take up Mone><es xmiflora, the " ten stamens" are found 

 to be in series. Two of these series consist of three stamens each, 

 two series of but a single stamen each, but occasionally there are 

 two stamens in each of the latter sets, which make the full comple- 

 ment of ten, and we see here the tendency to a suppression of parts 

 is very strong. 



The whole lesson teaches the morphological unity of type in the 

 sections of Ericaceae to a greater degree than usually supposed, 

 and that the cohesion or freedom from cohesion of the various 

 cycles comprising the theoretical foliar system is the chief govern- 

 ing influence in the formation of genera in the order. 



Vitality of Seeds. Lysimachia atropurpurea. 



That seeds will live long in the earth in many cases is a general 

 belief, but too frequently the facts presented are open to objection. 

 Dii-ect and incontestible evidence is still desirable. I am accus- 

 tomed to sow seeds for the purpose of botanical examination and 

 for specimens. In 1886 I had a few plants from seeds of the European 

 annual, Lysimachia atropurpurea. After a study of the plant no 

 further seeds were collected. In the winter following, this part of 

 my garden was given up to building operations, and the earth filled 

 in, several feet in depth, over where the Lysimachia grew, and on 

 this large evergreens were planted. Last spring one of these ever- 

 greens was removed and a hole left, nearly two feet deep. In the 

 bottom of this hole a Lysimachia plant came up this summer. 

 There can be no other explanation than that the seeds had been 

 there six years, as no Lysimachia has been growing in my garden 

 since. 



For some days prior to August 22, I took the plant under close 

 examination from day to day. That plants do not grow contiuu- 



