86 



than the ovarial couple does. The next stage apparently passes 

 very rapidly al least no stage with four nuclei at each pole 

 was ever met with. It must be acknowledged however that 

 no special trouble was taken to obtain it, in as much as the 

 subsequent stages gave no cause to expect anything abnormal 

 here. A stage which is frequently seen is drawn in fig. 37 

 PI. VIII '). Eggapparatus and antipodes are formed , and the 

 two polar nuclei are lying very close together apparently just 

 previous to fusing. At this moment (fig. 37 PI. VIII) the outer 

 layer of the placenta whose walls have considerably increased 

 in thickness (compare also fig. 45 PI. IX), is firmly grown 

 together with the inner epidermis of the carpellae in such a 

 way that they now form one tissue. If we look at this stage 

 more in detail (fig. 38, 39 PI. VIII, 40, 41 PI. IX) we remark 

 that an eggcell and two synergidae are present and in this 

 embryosac we find a single rather large antipodal cell ; usually 

 however we meet with no antipodal cell at all (fig. 33, 34, 35, 

 36 PL VIII), the antipodal tetrade apparently disorganising 

 completely. In the next stage (fig. 33, 34, 35, 36 PI. VIII, fig. 

 42, 46, PL IX, fig. 49 PL X) we find the two polar nuclei 

 fused to a gigantic endospermnucleus , showing plainly vacuoles 

 in the nuclear substance (fig. 23, 32 PL VII) and showing that 

 the gigantic nucleolus contains some substance dissolved in the 

 nucleolar saft, which by means of alcohol is precipitated in 

 the shape of a globular membrane almost adpressed at the 

 nucleolar wall (fig. 23, 32 PL VII). Besides this peripheral precip- 

 itated membrane other, more or less globular, membranes 

 (nucleololi) are precipitated, which bodies can be removed by 

 the knife and be deposited on the nuclear substance proper 

 (fig. 23, 32) where they may occupy in regard to the nucleolus 

 a position as is frequently pictured for the centrosomes in 

 regard to a resting nucleus {a fig. 23 PL VII). 



1) It is of importance to state here that in sectioning an apparently adult 

 flower one nearly always meets with a stage were the primary endospermnucleus 

 is allready formed. 



