
IN FLOWERING PLANTS. 183 
M. Mirbel says, that the raphe is developed with the pri- 
mine at the moment of change of direction, and that it 
exists only in anatropous ovula. Memoire 1. p. 4. To this 
I do not agree. 
Of those which are vascular, some, as in the case of 
antitropous and campylotropous ovula of Mirbel, have their 
vessels limited to a thin fascicle, which passing in at the base 
of the ovule, finds itself almost immediately in contact with 
the base of the nucleus; at, or about which it terminates. It 
is in such instances that difficulty arises in distinguishing the 
nature of the coat, when this is solitary. In others again, in 
addition to the supply for the nucleus? vessels may be vari- 
ously distributed over the outer coat, as in Myrica, etc. ` 
The vascular supplies have, it would appear, been generally 
supposed to be most complete in those ovula, (and they are 
the most. numerous,) in which the base of the nucleus is 
removed as it were, to a greater or less distance from the 
- point of attachment of the seed, or ovule. 
But this ís not the case always, for even among these, instan- 
ces of evascularity oecur. And it is owing to this, that some 
confusion arises as to the precise meaning of the term raphe, 
which is limited by Botanists to this class of ovula. 
Mr. Brown speaks of it as “ the vascular cord of the outer 
coat," Mirbel, as that portion of the funicle united laterally to 
the outer coat, and apparently without reference to its vascu- 
larity, or evascularity. 
I would understand by the term raphe, that obvious con- 
tinuation of the funicle, visible on one side of the ovulum, or 
seed, whether vascular or not, and from which it will, in all 
cases, be known by the greater elongation of its tissue. 
The termination of this raphe is supposed to form the cha- 
laza, at or near the base of the integuments. [M. Mirbel has 
noticed, but only in Labiate, apparent laterality of the cha- 
laza, he regards it as an incompletion of anatropism, p. 43.] 
. But although in all instances of a vascular raphe, perhaps a 
direct communication is established between the placenta and 
base of the nucleus, around which, in some instances, the 
ultimate vessels would appear to radiate, such does not 

