348 Proceedings of the 



the placentce, a fact which is quite sufficient to establish the possi- 

 bility of the communication, as the stigmatic tissue, the conductor of 

 the fecundating fluid, could very easily creep along the sides of the 

 ovary until it came in contact with the orifice. And, in fact, it fre- 

 quently happens, that in some Helianthema, the umbilical cords of 

 which are not so regularly bent back as to bring all the ovula in con- 

 tact with the placenta, a number of ovula, which have become abor- 

 tions, are found in the fruit when ripe, their vestiges remaining dis- 

 persed among the perfect grains. The following facts, pointed out 

 by M. Brogniart, are still more remarkable. 



In the Helianthemum l&vipes et thymifolium, the ovary contains 

 six ovula, attached near the summit of its cavity to the three pla- 

 centae by cords so short as to be unable to bend back. But in this 

 case, the orifice of the ovulum, instead of being, as in the other 

 species, opposite to the point of junction, is almost close to it, and is 

 prolonged in a small tube which is applied exactly to the base of the 

 style at the point of termination of the extremity of the conducting 

 tissue. In other species, such as the Helianthemum Mgyptiacum 

 et Niloticum, where the numerous ovula are inserted on placentae, 

 which are parietal, not projecting, and supported by cords nearly 

 straight, so that their open extremity cannot be brought into con- 

 tact with any point of the internal sides of the ovary, M. Brog- 

 niart has discovered that the conducting tissue, which occupies the 

 axis of the style, is prolonged downwards to the middle of the cavity 

 of the ovary in a bundle, divided and subdivided into a number of 

 fine and floating filaments, which can easily carry the fecundating 

 fluid to the orifice of the ovula. From these facts, M. Brogniart 

 concludes, that whatever may be the structure of the pollen, its seeds 

 always produce a long membranous tube, which penetrates between 

 the utriculi of the stigma to deposit the fecundating matter in its 

 tissue, and that, notwithstanding any modifications in the structure 

 of the ovary, the stigmatic tissue or conductor always penetrates to 

 it, and is there disposed so as to be placed, by some means or other, 

 in contact with that part of the ovulum which, being open, allows 

 of the introduction of the fecundating matter. 



On the truth of this theory, however perfectly it may appear to 

 be supported, it is not the province of the reporters to pronounce; 

 but the facts adduced have been verified by them, and found to be 

 equally new, interesting, and exact; and the importance of these 

 facts is sufficient, independent of any hypothesis, to entitle the memoir 

 to be inserted in the ' Recueil des Me'moires des Savans Etrangers.' 



Abortions and Irregularities of Flowers. On the 1st of August 

 Messrs. Cassini and Mirbel made a report on the Memoir of M. de 

 Jussieu on this subject, of which we gave an account in our last 

 Number (page 133). After having analysed the memoir, the 

 reporters remark, that by a singular chance M. Adolphe Brogniart 

 had examined nearly the same question as M. de Jussieu at the same 



