1 18 Trmis. Acad. Set. of St. Louis. 



(32, 254, 256, 262) state that endosperm is absent from 

 Mimosaceae: C aesalpinaceae with or without endosperm: 

 In Papilionaceae seeds mostly without endosperm. Taubert 

 (258, 72, 95) states that the endosperm is usually sparingly 

 developed, or wanting; in some genera, however, present in 

 abundance. 



In a discussion of this subject we should not lose sight of 

 the fact that the old test for endosperm, that it could not 

 be recognized with the naked eye, applies to many Legumi- 

 nosae. It would be better in descriptive works to simply say 

 endosperm copious or evident only in cases where it is readily 

 made out. Systematic papers and works are generally a 

 ready means for the identification of plants. It Avould not 

 help in identification to state that the endosperm in Vicia 

 consists of one or two layers of cells, but the question is a very 

 different one when the anatomy of the seed is taken up. 



Three writers have made an examination of the seeds of a 

 large number of Leguminosa.e with reference to endosperm. 

 The classic papers of Schleiden and Vogel (234), and Chalon 

 (39) recorded the presence of endosperm in a large number 

 of genera and species. It was also correctly indicated by 

 Duchartre (59), Ralph (204), Baillon (5), Gartner (67), 

 Bentham (12), Harz (99, 2.) and numerous other mono- 

 graphers. 



Many of the species studied by Chalon, and Schleiden and 

 Vogel, had been regarded as exalbuminous, but microscopic 

 study revealed the presence of endosperm in varying amounts. 

 Sempolowski (247. 248), who examined several economic 

 genera, found a small amount of endosperm in the genus 

 Vicia. Bischoff (17), and Schleiden and Vogel (234) 

 regarded Vicia as exalbuminous. Nobbe (190) regarded 

 Lupinus as exalbuminous, but the researches of Sempolowski 

 show that the endosperm is mucilaginous. Pisum has always 

 been regarded as exalbuminous and yet it is albuminous. 

 The same writer indicated the presence of endosperm in Tri- 

 folium in considerable quantity in what Nobbe called the 

 "Quellschichte." In Oniiihopus, Schleiden and Vogel, Sor- 

 auer (250), and Sempolowski indicated endosperm present. 

 The endosperm of Trigonella foenum-graecum has long been 



