12 SOUTH AFRICAN FLOWERING PLANTS. 



The ovule stands upon a stalk called the Funiclc ; ^ 

 where this terminates in the ovule, that part of it is 

 called the Chalaza (ch). 



The result of the fusion of the above-mentioned 

 two bodies, each of which is known as a Nucleus, is the 

 formation of the Embryo. To understand the parts of 

 an embryo, take a bean or an almond, soak it in water 

 to remove the skin, or Testa. The whole of the body- 

 within is the embryo. It will easily split in half, but 

 the two halves, called Cotyledons, are united by little 

 stalks, because they are really leaves, but having to 

 store up nourishment, they take quite a different form. 

 Still, in many plants, when they have surrendered all 

 their food to the germinating plant, they turn green, as 

 in mustard and cress. Next observe a little bud nest- 

 ling between the cotyledons. This is the Plumule, 

 which will grow into the stem above ground. Lastly, 

 there is a little tail protruding at one edge. This is 

 the Piadicle. It is not the root, which is only formed 

 from the end of it when it germinates. 



In many seeds, as we shall see, the embryo lies 

 buried in Albumen, or EndosiJerm (Figs. 8, 10, 26, 35), 

 a tissue abounding in starch, etc., upon which it lives 

 when it begins to grow ; but in beans, peas, mustard, 

 and cress, the embryo carries its own food in the tissue of 

 the cotyledons. While the ovule enlarges and becomes 

 the seed, the ovary has its part to do ; for its wall (d) 



1 i.e. " a little cord." 



