274 Transactions of the Society. 



forcibly when I came to consider the question of my Presidential 

 Address. 



It occurred to me, however, that as my distinguished predecessor 

 chose for the subject of his Address " The Flowering Plants of the 

 Mesozoic Age," and dwelt mainly on their organs of reproduction, 

 I might take Fruits and Seeds for my subject, with special reference 

 to British Plants. 



I propose this year to deal with the Dicotyledons, and, if it 

 meets with your approval, next year with the Conifers and Mono- 

 cotyledons, ending with some general observations. 



I have elsewhere* divided fruits and seeds from the point of 

 view of their dispersal into — 



Seeds or fruits with wings, which are carried by wind. 



Seeds or fruits with feathery appendages, carried by wind, and 

 sometimes, as in Willow, floated by water. 



Seeds in capsules which open at the top, the seeds being 

 jerked out by the wind. 



Seeds or fruits with hooks, which are carried by animals. 



Those which are eaten, and the seeds thus carried by animals. 



Those which are thrown by the plants ; and, lastly, 



Those which are sown by the plants themselves. 



In the whole of Botany there is perhaps no more fascinating 

 department than that which relates to Fruits and Seeds — their 

 development and morphology, their forms and structure, size and 

 colour — which, however, can best be dealt with when we have 



* British Flowering Plants, p. 15. 



EXPLANATION OP PLATE IN .—continued. 



Fig. 6a. — Ajuga reptans Linn, x 16. Inner or ventral face of the nutlet, show- 

 ing the wall of the carpel N and the partly exposed seed S. 



,, 66. — Ditto. The dorsal aspect of the nutlet. 



,, la. — Ajuga Chamc&pitys Schrieb. x 16. Showing the dorsal aspect. 



,, 76. — Ditto. The ventral aspect of the nutlet. N, ruptured wall of nutlet : 

 S, seed partly exposed. 



,, 8a. — Teucrium Botrys hinn. x 16. Dorsal aspect of a nutlet, showing wide- 

 meshed netting of broad, blunt ridges, with pits between. 



,, 86. — Ditto. Face by which the nutlets are attached to the receptacle and to 

 one another. N, shell of nutlet ; S, seed partly exposed. 



,, 9. — Verbena teucroides. x 4. Pyrene of the fruit, containing one seed 

 inclosed in one-fourth part of the reticulated ovary walls. The 

 species is a native of Brazil, etc. 



,, 10a. — Polygonum Persicaria Linn, x 8. Triquetrous nutlet. 



,, 106. — Ditto. Transverse section of 10a. 



„ 10c. — Ditto. Biconvex nutlet. 



,, 10a\ — Ditto. Transverse section of 10c. 



„ 11a. — Etq)horbia amygdaloidcs Linn, x 8. Ventral aspect of seed. Ch, 

 chalaza ; R, raphe ; C, caruncle. 



,, 116. — Ditto. Dorsal aspect of seed. 



,, 12a. — Euphorbia Helioscopia Linn, x 8. Dorsal aspect. 



,, 126. — Ditto. Ventral aspect. R, Raphe ; C, caruncle. 



