Feb. 18!)3.] UOTANICAL SOCIETY OF EDINBUKGH. ~)G7 



moderately thickened cells, which grow out on each side 

 of the funicle, so as to form two lateral fan-shaped 

 structures, which diverge from one another in the 

 direction of the radicle, but generally fuse ut the end 

 next the cotyledons. In this way the funicle appears 

 to spring from the central part of the tissue at its apex 

 between two divergent plates of somewhat thickened cells. 



This central tissue, of which the free part of the 

 funicle is a continuation, is composed of very thin- walled 

 cells, which, when the seed is ripe, give way along the 

 plane at which the two lateral wings are given off, leaving 

 the seed attached to its funicle by the bundle alone, or 

 together with a small remanent of thin-walled tissue on 

 •one side. — Comp. Bachmann (i.). When the bundle breaks, 

 which happens as soon as the seed is dry enough, the seed 

 is set free, and the lateral wing-like expansions adhere to 

 it forming the false aril. 



liound the edge of the seed at a little distance from that 

 end of the hilum at which the vascular bundle from the 

 funicle enters the seed-coat, we find a not very distinct 

 wart-like protuberance on the surface. This is described 

 and figured by Schleiden and Vogel (vi.) as the " Chalaza," 

 that is to say, the point at which the vascular bundle 

 enters the nucellus. Sempolowski (vii.) follows Schleiden 

 in calling this region the " Chalaza." But Mattirolo and 

 Buscalioni (iv.), who describe here a pair of protuberances 

 placed one on each side of the middle line, apply to these 

 the name " tubercoli Gemini," and seem, as far as can be 

 determined from an abstract of their work, which appeared 

 in the Botanisclic Ccntralblat, and on which I am 

 -dependent for my information, not having yet seen the 

 original paper, to deny that this region corresponds to the 

 Chalaza, stating, what is certainly a fact, that the vascular 

 bundle does not enter the seed-coat at this point. As I 

 have not yet seen my way to study the development of 

 these seeds, I am unable at present to state whether the 

 funicular bundle enters the nucellus at a point corre- 

 sponding to these tubercules or not. 



As regards the tubercules themselves, they are easily 

 recognisable in the majority of seeds, and appear to the 

 unaided vision as a slight elevation of a somewhat darker 



