ment becomes sclerotic and completely opaque due to the 

 accumulation of infiltrating materials inside the cells and their 

 walls (Swamy 1947, 1949). As opposed to this condition, in the 

 remaining orchid genera, the plants have seeds in which during 

 development the cells of the outermost layer of the integument 

 lose their protoplasts, thus, the seed coat becomes transparent, 

 hence, tunicate. Both Swamy (1949) and Netolitzky (1926) have 

 emphasized that multilayered, opaque and highly sclerotic seed 



primitive 



at that time Apostasia, 



emiDedium 



me 



agreement with Swamy 



focus this fact stating that "It is remarkable that the presence of 

 a primitive type of seed in the Apostasioideae, Cypripedioideae 

 and Neottioideae corresponds to the respective status of these 

 groups." 



statement 



lar reasoning by Burns-Balogh and Funk (1986) in their cladisti- 



em 



primitive because it is found in a primitive 



mussen 



is more hkel> 

 demonstrate 



** 



Although 



it is refreshing to know that the loss of protoplasts of the cells in 

 the seed coat is a primitive condition in the Orchidaceae. If their 

 claim is a fact, then the former microspermae must be regarded 

 as the most primitive group of the Monocotyledons. What a 

 revolutionary idea! Of course, Rasmussen (1982) said "I can see 



)hological obstacles against regarding the seeds of 



no mor 



m 



ii 



Where Rasmussen appears to have no visionary problems 



mult 



them 



some ol the cladistic 

 mvself can see no m 



m 



224 



