96 



MEMOIRS OF THE NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN. 



attenuation of the broad laminar 

 portion. A year later, after con- 

 tinuous growth in the interval, the 

 fourth pair of leaves had arrived 

 at maturity in the darkness. A 

 specimen examined on March 6 

 had absorbed all of the endosperm 

 from the apical end of the fruit, 

 but a great amount of food was 

 still present as a layer increasing 

 in thickness toward the opposite 

 end, where it had been decreased 

 but slightly from its original thick- 

 ness. The absorbing organ com- 

 pletely filled the central cavity, 

 and its rough rugose outer coat 

 was closely pressed against the re- 

 maining layer of endosperm. A 

 neck or cylindrical body a centi- 

 meter in thickness connected the 

 absorbing organ with the young 

 plantlet. The roots were furnished 

 with numerous lenticels. Numer- 

 ous stomata, open when examined 

 in water, were found on the leaves 

 in the epidermis of the lower side. 

 The upper, inner, side of the leaf 

 seemed to be free from transpiring 

 organs of any kind. Chlorophyl 

 was developed very quickly under 

 the influence of illumination of a 

 gas jet of six candle power at a 

 distance of three meters. 



A second specimen examined 

 on May 22, 1901, had developed 

 the sixth pair of leaves, a sparse 

 root system, the main root being 



Fig. 52. Cocosmicifera. Etiolated shoot . ,. , 



of plantlet after 15 months' confinement about 3 Cm. m diameter at base, 



ni dark room. and had not used more than half of 



