Prof. Dickson on Germination o/" Podophyllum Emodi. 129 



On the Germination 0/ Podophyllum Emodi. By Professor 

 Alexander Dickson, M.D. (Plate IX. fig. A.) 



(Eeail 9th November 1882.) 



Observations have been made by botanists, from time to 

 time, on a peculiarity in the germination of certain plants 

 belonging to various natural orders where the bases of the 

 cotyledons are connate into a narrow tube of greater or 

 less length. Tlie tube being too narrow to allow the 

 upward passage through it of the developing plumule, this 

 last breaks its way out through its base. The above- 

 mentioned anomalous condition has been observed in the 

 following orders : — 



Eanunculace.e. 



Delphinium fissum. 

 „ ochroleucum. 



nudicaule. 



Bernhardi ; 

 1832. 



Linneea, vol. vii. 



< 



Anemone coronaria, and ^ 



various other species 

 Erantliis hyemalis. 



BERBERmACE^. 



Leontice altaica. 

 „ vesicaria. 



CRUCIFERiE. 



Dentaria. 



UmBELLIFERxE. 



Bunium luteum. 

 Prangos ferulacea. 

 Ferulago. 



CuCURBITACEiE. 



Megarrhiza californica. 

 Primulace^. 



Dodecatlieon Meadia. 



^ Asa Gray, Silliman's Journal, 

 } quoted in Journal of 



Botany for Dec. 1871 ; 

 and note thereon by 

 myself, in Journal of 

 Botany, 1872, p. 45. 



Irmisch, Bot. Zeitung, 1865. 



;► Bernhardi, loc, cit. 



J 



} 



>■ Bernhardi, loc. cit. 



Asa Gray, Bot. Text Book, 

 6th edit., 1880. 



To this list has now to be added another Berberidaceoua 

 plant, — Poclo])hijllum Emodi, — the germination of which has 

 been observed in connection with seeds from Thibet, 

 recently presented to the Eoyal Botanic Garden, Edinburgli, 



TRANS. BOT. SOC. VOL. XVI. I 



