626 



Sir John Luhbock 



[Feb. 18, 



of such a provision, and which probably therefore are intended to 

 take root at home. 



Mr. Drummond, in the volume of ' Hooker's Journal of Botany ' 

 for 1842, has described a species of Alismaeece which has two sorts of 

 seed-vessels ; the one produced from large floating flowers, the other 

 at the end of short submerged stalks. He does not, however, describe 

 either the seeds or seed-vessels in detail. 



Before concluding, I will say a few words as to the very curious 

 forms presented by certain seeds and fruits. The pods of Lotus, for 

 instance, quaintly resemble a bird's foot, even to the toes ; whence the 

 specific name of one species, orniihopodioides ; those of ' Hippocrepis 

 remind one of a horseshoe ; those of Trapa hicornis have an absurd 

 resemblance to the skeleton of a bull's head. These likenesses appear 

 to be accidental, but there are some which probably are of use to the 

 plant. For instance there are two species of Scorpiurus, Fig. 23, the 



Fig. 23. 



a, pod of Scorpiurus subvillosa ; b, pod of Scorpiurus vermiculata. 



pods of which lie on the ground, and so curiously resemble the one 

 (S. subvillosa, Fig. 23 a) a centipede, the other (S. vermiculata, Fig. 23 h) 

 a worm or caterpillar, that it is almost impossible not to suppose that 

 the likeness must be of some use to the plant. 



