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XXXI. Note on the Development of the Ovulum o/*Osyris, in correction of the 

 Statement made at Page 1 78 of the present Volume. By William Griffith, 

 Esq., F.L.S. 8fc. Bfc. 



Read November 19th, 1844. 



-Having had opportunities, aftet- my revised examination of Santalum album, 

 of examining a Malacca species of Osyris (belonging to a section characterized 

 by a quinary number of parts of the flower, a less tendency to separation of 

 the sexes, and habit), I find full grounds for believing that the mode of deve- 

 lopment of the ovulum of Osyris Nepalensis is altogether like that of Santalum 

 album ; the only difference being the unimportant one of the short anterior 

 prolongation of the embryo-sac outside the nucleus. The minuteness of the 

 ovulum, and the rapidity with which the anterior exserted part above the 

 septum becomes filled with albuminous tissue, during which the proper mem- 

 brane of this part of the sac becomes incorporated with the albuminous tissue, 

 must be my apologies for this additional and very important error. 



I may take this opportunity of stating that this Malacca Osyris, deducting 

 the great minuteness of the ovulum, has given me as good evidence as San- 

 talum in my opinion has, of the non-existence of any cell or body of or in the 

 embryo-sac, from which the embryo is derived independent of the pollen tube. 

 The vesicle from which the embryo is to be derived does not appear to exist 

 before the application of the pollen tubes to the sac ; it being, in fact, so far 

 as my means of observation enable me to go, the anterior extremity of the 

 pollen tube itself. 



Botanic Gardens, Calcutta, November 12, 1843. 



VOL. XIX. 3 s 



