79 



examining logitudinal sections of the endosperm of these seeds, 

 it is seen that there is no embryo allready developped, the main 

 body of the section consists of ordinary cells of the endosperm .... 

 near its apex there is usually a cavity (but in specimens of 

 G. Gnemon from the Kew Museum this is not always the case). 

 The cavity is evidently due to rupture of the tissue, and its 

 occurence may depend upon the manner of ripening of the 

 seed. Among the cells of the endosperm may also be found 

 numerous long tubular cells with walls which stain blue with 

 a solution of I in K I; they have rather transparent proto- 

 plasm and a nucleus (I have never observed more than one 

 nucleus); transverse septa occur in rare cases, but there does 

 not appear to be any definite terminal cell cut off before 

 germination. The course of the tubes through the endosperm is 

 sinuous and for the most part longitudinal; where they traverse 

 the cavity of the endosperm ') their course is more direct and 



here cases of branching may occasionally be observed 



The tubes may be traced backwards towards the apex of the 

 endosperm and up to certain shrivelled bodies, which corres- 

 pond in position and form (as far as could be judged in their 

 desorganised condition) to the corpuscula of Ephedra. Whether 

 this be their real nature remains to be decided by comparison 

 with younger stages of development. We may for the present 

 assume that they are the corpuscula and apply that term to 

 them, while we call the tubular cells suspensors 



Germination p. 279: 



The period of germination is however, variable in dif- 

 ferent individuals. Owing partly to this fact and partly to the 

 difficulty in obtaining suitable preparations, I have not suc- 

 ceeded in observing the first changes at the apex of the sus- 

 pensor. The young embryo's are usually found near the axis 

 of the endosperm, but at a very variable distance from its 

 apex. Though the arrangement of cells in the youngest embryo's 



1) No doubt the upper part of the Embryosac which contained nothing 

 but nuclei. 



