GERMINATIOX OF THE MORNING GLORY. 



247 



filled with latex are found in the parenchyma, as has been reported 

 for C OUT ok' id us major by Turnbull. Whether the chlorophyllous 

 cotyledons with their leaf-like structure and the storage of latex 

 are ready for germination without further maturation and a period 

 of rest is a question which can be answered only by experimen- 

 tation. To obtain some light upon the subject, seeds of the morn- 

 ing glory, varying in age and maturity, were planted in garden 

 soil and observations were recorded upon their germination. The 

 table below sums up these experiments. 



Further, plants grown in a green-house from immature green 

 seeds blossomed earlier, had shorter stems and produced fewer 

 seed-pods by about one-half than did those raised under the same 

 conditions from seeds having no chlorophyll in the embryo. 

 When the plants so grown from immature green seeds had ceased 

 to blossom, those raised from mature colorless seeds were thrifty 

 and still forming buds and maturing flowers and fruit. Both 

 kinds of seeds were planted at the same time. 



From the facts demonstrated above, certain conclusions may 

 be drawn, (i) Giving a resting period to the fully ripe seed 

 shortens the time required for germination. (2) Drying green 

 seeds shortens their period of germination. (3) Dry, mature 

 seeds having no chlorophyll germinate more quickly than fresh 

 green seeds. (4) Fully matured and rested seeds germinate ir 

 eight days or less, whether the period of rest be eight months, a 

 year, or ten years. (5) Twenty-five per cent, of matured seeds 

 retained their vitality for ten years. (6) The highest per cent, 

 of germination occurs in seeds one year old. (7) Seeds ripen 

 earlier upon plants grown from unripe seeds, but the vegetative 

 parts are more scanty and the amount of fruit less than upon 

 plants grown from matured seeds. 



