AND ARILLUS. iQj 



The outer of these coats only is described 

 byGaertner, as a peculiar membrane lining 

 the cell of the berry ; his *' integumentum 

 duplex " refers to the testa, which I men- 

 tion only to prevent misapprehension. The 

 Mace which envelops the Nutmeg is a 

 partial Aril Ins, beautifully drawn in Gacrt- 

 ner, ^.41. Narthccium, Engl. Bot. t. 535, 

 has a complete membranous tunic, elon- 

 gated beyond the seed at each end, as in 

 many of the Orchis tribe ; and such seeds, 

 •acquiring thence a light and chatly appear- 

 ance, have been denominated scobifojuiia, 

 whence Bergius was perhaps led, very un- 

 scientifically, to call the seeds of ferns lite- 

 rally scobs or sawdust ! An elastic pouch- 

 like Arillus, serving to project the seeds 

 with considerable force, occurs in Oxalis, 

 t. 762 and 1726. In the natural order 

 of llutacece the same part, shaped also like 

 a pouch lining each cell of the capsule, is 

 very rigid or horny ; see Dictamniis albiis^ 

 or Fraxinella, Gcertn. t, 69, and Boronia, 

 Tracts on Nat, Hist, t. 4 — 7- Besides 

 this coincidence, there are many common 

 points of affinity between these plants and 



