354 Mr Philip Sewell's Olservations upon the 



But by far the greater number attain an average size as 

 follows : — • 



Mm. 2-5 X 1-8 X 1-65 in >S'. Teiiorii. 

 Mm. 2-2 X 1-7 X 1-6 in >S'. Forskoldei. 



A few amongst those in Mr Hanbury's collection having 

 a more compressed or triquetrous shape, differ somewhat in 

 size ; e.g., S. gesncroejiora, S. Grcgfjii, S. Heeriana, S. mexicaiia, 

 S. sanguinca, S. triangularis. 



Mm. 3-2 X 2-3 x 1-5 in ,S'. Heeriana. 

 Mm. 2 '75 X 1'25 X I'O in S. sanguinea. 



S. purpurea may be instanced as considerably the smallest 

 seed in the collection. 



Mm. 1-75 X rO X -75. in S. purpurea. 



It will be evident from the preceding dimensions, that the 

 nutlets are not large ; most commonly they have an elongate 

 appearance, inasmuch as they are more or less evidently 

 compressed or even triquetrous. 



They are described in the ' Genera Plantarum ' of Hooker 

 and Bentham as " Nuculoi ovoideo-triq_uetrai vel compressiusculce, 

 Icevcs;" and Bentham in Decandolle's 'Prodromus' characterises 

 them as " Siccce, glahrce plerunnque Icevisshnce." Their specific 

 characters are of little importance, nor in the last-mentioned 

 work are they again referred to in classification, presenting 

 but slight dissimilarity one with another. 



The surface of the persistent carpellary coat is, as a rule, 

 slightly roughened or pitted. The greater number (I speak 

 with reference to those in Mr Hanbury's collection ) are black 

 or dark-brown in colour; a few are lighter or very distinctly 

 yellow. S. canariensis, S. dominica, S. hispanica may be 

 instanced as examples of the species with darker coloured 

 nutlets. Those which are lighter coloured are commonly 

 also distinguished by their more elongated shape ; whilst 

 they are somewhat smoother in texture ; e.g., S. confertiflora, 

 S. farinosa, S. nutans, S. Heeriana, S. mexicana, S. purpurea. 



In most species the walls of the cells of the outer coat 

 break down into mucilage when they are placed in water or 

 in a damp place, a commonly noticed phenomenon amongst 

 the seeds of many fanulies of plants ; it perhaps serves as a 



