THE EMBRYO SAC AND EMBRYO OF GNETUM GNEMON 



NEW YORK 

 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE HULL BOTANICAL LABORATORY 112 



John M. Coulter 

 (WITH PLATE VII) 



Gnetum Gnemon has been made conspicuous among the other 

 species of Gnetum chiefly by the investigation of Lotsy published 

 in 1899. 1 The structures described were of such interest that it 

 seemed desirable to supplement the somewhat incomplete account 

 by a further examination. Accordingly material was obtained from 

 the Philippine Islands and from British Guiana; the former from 

 Dr. H. N. Whitford, and the latter from Mr. A. W. Bartlett, 

 director of the Botanic Garden at Georgetown. This material was 

 first assembled by Dr. W. J. G. Land, of this laboratory, in connec- 

 tion with his investigation of Ephedra; and he has kindly turned it 

 over to me for separate study. The preparations and drawings were 

 made by Dr. Shigeo Yamanouchi, of this laboratory, and to his 

 technical skill the results are largely due. 



The material included stages from two successive seasons, but 

 unfortunately many intervening stages were not represented, so 

 that no continuous account can be given. However, certain facts 

 have been discovered that supplement and correct the previous 

 accounts. 



EMBRYO SAC 



Lotsy described the embryo sac of G. Gnemon as showing an 

 interesting deviation from those found by Karsten 2 in other species 

 of Gnetum. Instead of containing only free nuclei at the fertiliza- 

 tion stage, the embryo sac of G. Gnemon was described as containing 



1 Lotsy, J. P., Contributions to the life history of the genus Gnetum. Ann. 

 Jard. Bot. Buitenzorg II. 1:46-114. ph. 2-11. 1899. 



2 Karsten, H., Bot. Zeit. 50:205-215, 221-231, 237-246. ph. 5, 6. 1892; Ann. 

 Jard. Bot. Buitenzorg 11:195-218. ph. 17-ig. 1893; Cohn's Beitr. Biol. Pflanzen 6: 

 337-382. ph. S-11. 1893. 



43 ' [Botanical Gazette, vol. 46 



