53 



prominent rounded soulders. It contains a single spinale shaped 

 seed. The embryo completely fills it, there being no albumen. 

 It is an undifferentiated spindle-shaped mass of living cells 

 full of starch. The usual diferentiation of a dicotyl embryo does 

 not occur in this case. On germination one end, viz: that nearest 

 the style, develops into the primary root while the other, viz 

 that nearest the pedicel, develops into the primary shoot. The 

 seed never leaves the shell (pericarp). The primary root has 

 a quicker growth in length than the shoot. Under natural 

 conditions the seeds germinate soon after the fruits have 

 dropped on attaining maturity. The accompanying photograph 

 represents two self sow^n seedlings collected by me last Fe- 

 bruary at Dehri in Than a District, within a few yards from 

 the open sea. 



TRAPA BISPINOSA L. 



(References — Cooke, F. B. P., I. 5i8; vernacular name — Shingada; 

 Anglo-vernicular name — waterchestnut). 



Trapa bispinosa is stated by Dr. T. Cooke to occur in tanks 

 throughout the Presidency. I have not however seen it in any 

 tanks far away from habitation. The specimens in the herbarium 

 of the Economic Botanist Bombay Presidency, Poona, all seem 

 to have been collected from cultivated plants. 



The waterchestnut bears a nut generally provided with a 

 pair of lateral spines. The plant is a floating aquatic. The 

 nuts mature about Christmas time and in detachment sink to 

 the bottom of the tank. The lateral spines, when present, are 

 provided with fine backwardly directed bristles. These help to 

 secure the seed to one place at the muddy bottom of the 

 tank. They rest there for about three months, after which 

 they put forth the radicle throiigh a beak like structure which 

 was surmounted by the style, in the flower. The radicle is 

 thus superior in direction. It also grows upwards i. e. is nega- 

 tively geotropic. When the radicle has attained the length of 

 about a couple of inches a little projection reveals itself on 

 its course close to the beak. This is one of the cotyledons. It 



