98 MR. MIERS ON SEVERAL INSTANCES OF ANOMALOUS DEVELOPMENT 



of the seeds uear the summit of the cells. Here Ave have the most positive proof of the 

 normal structure of the whole family, and this fact ought to he held in view in those 

 cases which ordinarily occur, as in Stemomirus, where one of the cells has become oblite- 

 rated by partial abortion. 



The able botanist who has given us the details of Jlrandra, has had the advantage of 

 examining the fruit in a living state, and describes it to be a somewhat fleshy drupe with 

 a siibligneous putamen, its solitary seed consisting of an embryo formed of two small coty- 

 ledons and a superior terete radicle loosely seated in the vipper part of a longitudinal cleft 

 or cell in a largo albumen, which is thus nearly cUvided into two almost equal plates, by the 

 intervention of two cellular strata that line this cavity, and whose margins nearly reach the 

 testa on every side. This exactly corresponds with what I have observed in Stemomirus, and 

 the same features are confii-med by Dr. Wight in his 'Icones,' under Stemomirus {Gomphan- 

 dra) polymorphus, where they are well delineated in plate 954. figs. 11 & 12, and where the 

 chink above mentioned is shown distinctly in fig. 13. Mr. Thwaites examined the texture 

 of the nucleus of JJrcmdra under the microscope, and he describes the albumen to consist 

 of cells, radiating from the more central tissue to the periphery of the seed; he states 

 that the two strata lining its cavity are formed of cells similar to those of the albumen, 

 but differing in containing no amylaceous granules : he considers them to be organically 

 connected with the albumen, but I succeeded most certainly in separating them as easily 

 as the iutegviments, and still preserve them in this state. At the time I published my 

 Monograph of the Icaclnacece, I had been able to examine only a single drupe of 

 Stemomirus ; but I was fortunate enough afterwards to obtain another seed, through the 

 kindness of the late Major Champion, which I analysed, and found that a portion of the 

 embryo, in the first instance, had been partially eaten by a small insect, then observed 

 witliin the cavity, so that the real cotyledons were gone, and I found a portion of the 

 radicle, situated in the manner I had described, in the upper part of the axis of the 

 albimien, and placed at one extremity of the two thin membranaceovis strata described by 

 Mr. Thwaites. I naturally concluded, by analogy, that these were the cotyledons ; they 

 occupied the same position, and were about the size of the foliaceous cotyledons I have 

 delineated in Mappia foetida, and as these are figured by Dr. Wight (Icon. 955. figs. 10 

 & 11) under Stemomirus fcetkhis. In my second analysis, made soon after the publi- 

 cation of my Memou- on Stemomirus, I discovered the embryo entire, with small coty- 

 ledons, just as Mr. Thwaites has shown them ; my attention was now, therefore, drawn to 

 the consideration of the nature of the two membranaceous strata, well described by that 

 botanist. The result of this examination, and my correction of the form of the embryo, 

 would consequently have been given in the forthcoming volume of my ' Contributions,' 

 where the details of Stemomirus and aU other genera of the Icacinacece are figured. I 

 am, however, glad of this opportunity of rectifying my previous description, and of adding 

 a drawing of my analysis of the seed. 



Another circumstance mentioned by Mr. Thwaites calls for observation. In Stemonurus 

 the albumen of the seed is covered by the ordinary delicate membranaceous inner integu- 

 ment, and this again is invested by a very thin testa, which is intimately agglutinated to 

 it, and which is marked by fine hexagonoid reticulations. The raphe, prominent upon 



