296 OF THE PELLICULA 



SO far capable of resuming its formtr na- 

 ture, that the juices of tlie earth are im- 

 bibed through it previous to germination. 



There are various accessory parts, or 

 appendages, to seeds, which come under 

 the following denominations. 



PeUicida, the Pelhcle, called by Ga^rtner 

 Epidennis, closely adheres to the outside of 

 some seeds, so as to conceal the proper co- 

 lour and surface of their skin, and is either 

 membranous, and often downy, as in Con- 

 volvulus, or mucilaginous, not perceptible 

 till the seed is moistened, as in Salvia ver- 

 henaca, Engl. Bat. t. 154. Perhaps the 

 covering of the seed in Chenop odium, called 

 by Gartner Utriculus, is merely a Felli- 

 cula. 



Arillus, the Tunic, is either a complete or 

 partial covering of a seed, fixed to its base 

 only, and more or less loosely or closely 

 enveloping its other parts. Of this nature 

 is the pulpy orange-coloured coat in Euony- 

 mus, t. 362, the beautiful scarlet cup in 

 Jfzelia,/. 203, and the double membranous 

 coat in Hippophde, t. 425, which last in- 

 vests the seed within the pulp of the berry. 



