51 



Oeffnung der ausseren zu einer ziemlich bedeuteten Lange 

 hervor". 

 „Auch Hooker untersuchte Gnetum, doch nur beilaufig um 



es mit Welwitschia zu vergleichen. Die gewonnenen Resultate 



theilt er in einer Anmerkung^) mit: 



„My observations on Griffith's specimens of Gnetum scan- 

 dens , G. Gnemon , G. Brunonianum ^) and others differ 

 much, however, from those of that skillful investigator, 

 whose account of the development of the ovular coats 

 is certainly erroneous. In none of these species do I find 

 the appearance of the inner coat to be either sudden or 

 subsequent to the formation of the outer; on the con- 

 trary the inner coat is first gradually developped around 

 the nucleus as a cup with a fimbriated mouth and it 

 often overtops the nucleus before the outer coat makes 

 its appearance. The latter first appears as a ring round 

 the base of the inner coat with a lobed or irregular 

 crenate, often rather oblique mouth; both integuments 

 grow together, but the inner at all periods exceeds the 

 outer. The tissues of both are similar, viz. elongated 

 cells; neither contains vascular tissue when young, nor 

 does the inner at any time'); but the outer becomes 

 full of paralell vascular cords. I have found female 

 flowers of Gn. scandens in which there has been no trace 

 of the outer coat, though the inner had allready grown 



far beyond the nucleus I cannot , however but 



consider that his (Griffith's) observations relating to the 

 ovule were probably not intended for pub- 

 lication in extenso*). Both his figures and descriptions 

 are inferior in accuracy to the beautiful analyses of 

 Decaisne in Blume's Rumphia IV, tab. 176, where the 



1) J. D. HooKEK. On Welwitschia, a new Genua of Gnetaceae. Transactions of 

 the Linnean Society of Londen. Vol. XXIV. 1864. p. 29. 



2) Synonymous with Gnetum Gnemon L. 



3) Of importance for the homologies. 



4) They were published after Dr. Griffith's death. 



