NIPA. ` 173 
There is no difficulty in conjecturing the use of the commu. 
nications between the cells. 
The asbestoid cells soon lose their irm appearance, and al- 
most all their granules. 
The pyramidal leaves of Nipa are also Palmine. 
In another instance in which but one radicle had been 
thrown out without any other sign of development, the coty- 
ledon was irregular on its surface, and nearly filled the cavity 
of the seed, having absorbed almost all the albumen, the radi- 
cle arose from its surface, considerably within the circular 
opening in the fruit, and opposite to the hilum. 
The parts within represented the neck of the germinating 
embryo, and sheaths are visible when the young plant is 3-4 
feet high, the axis then taken a descending direction in addi- 
tion to its pushing out leaves upwards, so that a bulbous body 
is formed to such an extent as to perforate, or tear away the 
base of the vagina of the elamellar petioles ; or leaves. 
Nipa fruticans Pl. COXLVI. 
1. Germinating seed. 
2. æ Vagina of leaf, w radicles, v cotyledon, s albumen, 
Z. transverse section of albumen perfect, y longitudinal 
ditto, r cellular fibrous endocarp and tegument, ¢ me- 
socarpe u endocarp. 
3. q first vagina, m second sheath, n original radicle, о jön- 
git. p constricted by the annular opening. 
4. l ampulate collum, g k first lamellar leaf, A j second 
lamellar leaf, f i third lameller leaf, e first plicate leaf. | 
5. a Collum. a first lamellar leaf, с first elamellar petiole, 
b second elamellar petiole, d first plicate leaf, 
Nipa fruticans. CCXLVII. 
1, 2, 3, 5. Represent various forms of the male inflorescence, 
before the rupture of the bracts or spathes. 
5. One of the same opened, one ament? is 1 enclosed in а 
spathella, that of the other is reduced to a line or lamina. 
6. Single amentum, its spathe and spathella. 
7- Do. spathe removed. 
