172 PALMACE. 
The vernation is plicato-conduplicate, with a tendency in 
both margins to be reduplicated towards the axis, this last is 
carried to a considerable extent in the upper pinnule. These 
again are appressed to the petiole. 
In Pandanus nothing of the kind occurs, the first formed 
leaves are like the mature oues, in Nipa, they are reduced to 
the petioles. 
The germinating fruit of Nipa, has all the fibres at the nar- 
rowest part or base denuded, and brush-like. The mesocarp 
is rich brown spongy, permeated by fibres; the endocarp is 
tough and hard, the surface on the section is shining and 
кешер Palmvid. 
Then comes a lighter brown coloured spongy substance, 
also permeated by fibres, whieh adheres to the albumen and 
disguises its proper covering, the albumen is decidedly Palmine, 
very tough, and cartilaginous, and the section wherever it is 
irregular is as bestoid. The central cavity is large and sur- 
rounded with albumen, opaque, asbestoid, and occupied by 
thé enlarged cotyledon. The outline of the seed itself is 
bi-lateral, the young leaves, and the radicles passing out 
from the sinus, where the endocarp is wanting. 
The cotyledon which entirely fills the cavity is an ovate, 
subcordate body, at the base of a spongy soft texture exactly 
like pith. 
Under a lens, the albumen appears as if it were composed 
of transverse cells, those beyond the influence of the coty- 
ledons have a firm hyaline appearance. The asbestoid part 
may be described as marcescent. 
The cells appear to have very thick walls. 
Iodine scarcely exerts any action on the asbestoid part, 
it tinges the solid part with the usual fuscous colour, and then 
becomes rather brown or quite brown. Iodine changes to 
Violet blue the contents of the cells, which are highly but 
minutely granular. 
The cells communicate freely with one another, this is es- 
pecially evident on a long section, the granules are of unequal 
size, but most are very small, and at first very mobile. 
