o M ASELEPIADEJ. 
9. Ditto portion of, viewed internally. 
10, Ends of two boyaux. 
Fecundation in Ozystelma esculentum is by no means 
uncommon, The steps being almost precisely, the same 
as in Asclepias. Dehiscence, of the pollinia never taking 
place in the cells, but in the clefts of fecundation, and occur- 
ring along the convex or inner edge, with regard to the an- 
thers. The bundles of tubes passed to the base of the 
head of stigma, thence being reflected in passing down 
its prolongation : the base and the prolongation consisting of 
stigmatic tissue, the outer part being almost indurated 
into a sort of cutis, the tubes pass into the apex of the 
styles or at the point where the articulation takes place, 
and where the styles are green and have no lax stig- 
matic tissue. Thence downwards to the placenta, over 
which they spread, proceeding most: distinct to the ovula, 
the groove of which they enter appear to penetrate into 
the substance of the ovulum to alittle distance from the 
fundus of the groove. 
They are in this state almost entirely empty. Extensive 
sphacelation of that portion of the styles, which are not 
stigmatic, and into which the tubes enter, takes iron but no 
signs of it are perceptible on the placenta. 
The ovula at the period of the attachment of the tubes 
have undergone no change. The nucleary excavation is ge- 
neraly however more evident, and occasionally appears par- 
tially with dislocated tissue, no raphe is visible. The 
excavation in its more advanced stages appears to have a 
communication with the fundus of the foramen. At the pe- 
riod when the coma is equal to the ovulum, the cavity 
does not bear the same proportion to the ovule that it 
did previously. The raphe exists, shining along an elevated 
line and terminating towards the centre of the ovule. The 
central opaque portion of the ovule is solid, but no separation 
of the parts appears to have taken place. * 
. At a somewhat later period the mele is more developed, — | 
VONT 
