174 Dr Edward Janczewski on the [sess. lii. 



On the Fruits of the Genus Anemone. By Dr Edward 

 Janczewski, Professor of Botany, Cracow. 



(Read 9tli February 1888.) 



The genus Anemone, notwithstanding the real afhnity of 

 the genera which botanists have classified under this name, 

 consists of plants displaying such a decided difference in their 

 nutritive and reproductive organs, that many attempts have 

 been made to divide them into smaller "enera or subijenera. 

 These divisions, however, have not proved satisfactory as yet, 

 not having been founded on sufficiently thorough investiga- 

 tions. Entirely different genera have often been classified 

 together, and on the other hand those more nearly allied 

 have been separated ; less important characteristics have been 

 remarked, and the most important overlooked. 



While studying the genus Anemone monogTaphically, the 

 writer had the opportunity of convincing himself that the 

 difference consists chiefly in the fruit, the structure and form of 

 which are the most remarkable of all the biological character- 

 istics. The confirmation of this thesis will be developed later on. 



The fruit of tlie Anemone is a nut (achene) containing 

 one seed, with a large endosperm without starch, and one 

 embryo, rather small, with two perfectly developed cotyledons, 

 or one very small roundish rudimentary embryo. As an 

 indehiscent and dry fruit, the achene, in the first place, 

 serves to pi'otect the seeds (till the time of their germina- 

 tion) by means of its pericarp, wdiich consists of layers of 

 parenchyma and sclerencliyma ; secondly, it aids their dis- 

 semination by means of animals, wind, or even water. 



That is also the reason why tlie achenes of the genus 

 Anemone vary in their outward appearance ; all possess, how- 

 ever, a persistent though varial)le style. Even the structure 

 of the pericarp is adapted to certain ])urposes ; so is also 

 the variety in the length and manner of growth of the hair 

 of the achene, which cannot fad to strike us. 



On account of the diflerence in the form of the achene 

 and its embryo, the writer feels justified in distinguishing the 

 following types in the genus Anemone : — 



(A) Embryo without any cotyledons rounded; in the first 

 year the main root issues from the fruit, without 

 appearing above ground. 



