Cockayne. — Development of Seedlings. 283 



ing in regions difficult of access, and which it might not be 

 practicable to again visit when the seed was fully matured.* 

 It is advisable, therefore, in many instances to collect im- 

 mature fruits of Veronica, not removing the capsules from the 

 inflorescence, even when so little developed that it might 

 seem quite hopeless! for the seed to reach maturity. From 

 seed germinating inside the capsule young plants will be de- 

 veloped in all respects similar to those from seed sown in the 

 usual manner, except that the root will be coiled round and 

 round within the capsule. In the case of the seedlings under 

 consideration, one of the plants examined had its roots coiled 

 up like a watch-spring, which, when unrolled, gave a measure- 

 ment of 21 mm. The hypocotyl of this plant measured 

 3 - 5 mm. m length, and the cotyledons were 3 mm. x 2 mm. 

 The root was of a brownish colour, and provided with numer- 

 ous root-ha^rs. 



Description of Seedling. 



Hypocotyl very soft and juicy at first, pale-green, semi- 

 translucent, glabrous, varying in length according to posi- 

 tion with regard to light, those seedlings in shade of other 

 plants, &c, having much longer hypocotyls than those more 

 exposed to the light. The longest hypocotyl observed was 

 11 mm. long. 



Plant described below 9 mm. tall, and having cotyledons 

 and four pairs of leaves. A fairly typical seedling. 



Cotyledons furnished with petioles connate at the base ; 

 laminae 3mm. x 2mm., ovate-oblong, entire, obtuse; upper 

 surface green ; under-surface purple except a.t margin, round 

 which is a narrow band of green; petioles 075 mm. long, 

 channelled above, rounded on under-surface. 



1st pair of leaves (fig. 21) soft, juicy, and rather thick, 

 with petioles connate at base, very broadly ovate-rotund; 

 laminae 3mm. x 2-5 mm., entire, acute or subacute; upper 

 surface dull-green, furnished with numerous short white 

 hairs ; under-surface purple except towards margin, round 

 which is a green belt ; margin entire, ciliated with hairs 

 similar to those on the upper surface. 



2nd pair of leaves very similar in most respects to the 

 1st pair, but margin is not entire, having one tooth on each 

 side. The leaf figured (fig. 22) is narrower than is usually 

 the case. 



3rd pair of leaves have petioles more erect — i.e., given off 

 from the stem at a more acute angle — than in 2nd pair of 



* This plan of sowing is briefly referred to in a former paper, l.c. T 

 p. 83. 



t Mr. S. D. Barker tells me that he has also had good results from 

 sowing seemingly unripe seed. 



