July 1900.] BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF EDINBUKGII 339' 



of colour, on treatment with alkalies. It appears similar 

 to that described by Claudel (" Coraptes Eendus/' 1889) 

 as occurring in the cell cavities of certain seed coats, 

 and as arising from the metamorphosis of the protoplasm. 



The Ovule, of small size, is more or less anatropous, 

 with the micropyle superior, and the raphe ventral. 

 It is one-coated, and at the chalazal end a pigment 

 having similar properties to that of the styles is developed 

 during maturation. 



Vascular Supply of Pistil and Ovule. — The single bundle 

 (Fig. 13) that enters the stalk from the torus bifurcates 

 right and left on passing into the ventral keel of the 

 ovai-y. It may previously give off a small branch 

 which curves round under the basal end of the ovary, 

 but this is not frequent. The strands pass into the 

 style when they are seen in cross section (Fig. 8, s.v.) in 

 the parenchyma, right and left of the median line. They 

 terminate in fan-shaped extremities at the constriction just 

 below the funnel-shaped stigma. From one of the strands 

 in the keel a bundle curves inwards through the funiculus 

 and supplies the ovule. It courses down the raphe, and 

 terminates at the chalaza in a small fan-shaped vascular 

 cup. From the other bundle in the keel a similar branch 

 curves outward over the top of the ovary and forms a small 

 dorsal bundle of varying length. 



All these bundles are composed of delicate spiral and 

 annular tracheides, occasionally assuming the appearance of 

 vasa. The phloem, so far as present, is represented liy 

 a few delicate-walled elongated cells, rich in proteids. 



The summary of lioral characters of systematic import- 

 ance works out somewhat as under. In addition to such 

 features as shape, origin, relative size and position of the 

 epicalyx segments, sepals, and petals — characters already 

 utilised in classification — it is suggested here that the 

 various types of staminal arrangements, as previously 

 partly described by Dickson, and, as further described 

 here, may be of considerable value. Further, the more 

 minute details of the pistils, in addition to the character 

 of the nectaries, whether separate or confluent, are of 

 importance. Thus, the length of the styles, character 

 of the stigma, appearance of the external surface of the 



