138 Trans. Acad. Set. of St. Louis. 



SOPHOEA, L. 



SOPHORA SERICEA, Nutt. 

 PI. X.f.l-lc. 



Testa developed quite uniformly. The testa with endosperm 

 measures 196.4// in thickness, but on the sides of the seed, 

 243 /j; near the ends of the seed, only 64.8 /j.. 



Malpighian. The cuticle forms a continuous thin layer; 

 the narrow light line runs close under the cuticle just below 

 the cuticularized layer. The cavity is large at the lower end, 

 gradually tapering upward. Several canals project into the 

 thickened cell-wall; these are of different lengths. With 

 chlor-iodide of zinc the cuticularized layer colors darker blue 

 than the remainder of the cell-wall, corresponding to the 

 structure found by Schips for some other leguminous seeds. 



Osteosclerid. Cells are thick-walled, with large intercellular 

 spaces, quite uniform as to size. Walls slightly brownish in 

 color, and coloring blue with chlor-iodide of zinc. 



Nutrient. The cells are much compressed, rather thick- 

 walled, and vary somewhat in size. Cells of the lower por- 

 tion are smaller than in the upper. This layer contains the 

 brown pigment and the vascular elements. The walls color 

 blue with chlor-iodide of zinc. 



Endosperm. This is well developed and is differentiated 

 into three parts: (1) aleurone layer, (2) reserve cellulose, 

 (3) narrow, elongated, thick- walled cells. Cells of the 

 aleurone layer are uniform throughout and surround the 

 entire reserve cellulose. The cells contain fat and protein 

 grains. The cell-walls in part consist of reserve cellulose 

 which is mucilaginous. Cell-walls are thickened and pro- 

 vided with large pore-canals. The cell-cavity contains pro- 

 tein. In the layer next to the cotyledons the walls are 

 thickened and elongated; the cells are small and contain 

 some protein matter. On the addition of chlor-iodide of zinc 

 the outer portion of the cell-wall immediately colors blue. 

 The inner portion of the cell-wall takes a lighter shade of blue. 



Embryo. The first row of cells forms a continuous row ; 

 the outer wall is thickened. The cell-walls below the outer 

 row have minute canals. The cells contain protein, fat, and 

 minute starch grains. The cell-walls consist of cellulose. 



