Prof. G. Gulliver on Raphides and other Crystals in Plants. 115 



XII. — Observations on Raphides and other Crystals in Plants. 

 By George Gulliver, F.R.S. 



[Continued from vol. xv. p. 458.] 



The object of this paper being to show how the order Vitacese 

 differs, in the possession of the character of raphis-bearing, from 

 its allies, they will here follow as enumerated by Prof. Lindley. 



Droseracece. — Dried specimens of Drosera rotundifolia and D. 

 anglica : no raphides. 



Fumariacece. — Of these were examined fresh plants of Fumaria 

 officinalis and another English species, Dielytra spectabilis, and 

 Corydalis, sp., in none of which could raphides be detected. 



Berberidacece. — Leaves and fruit of Berberis vulgaris, B. Japo- 

 nica, B. Darwinii, B. dulcis, B. aquifolia, and leaves and ovaries 

 of Epimedium alpinum, E. macranthum : no raphides in any of 

 them ; a few sphaeraphides in the fruit of Berberis vulgaris. 



Vitacem. — Raphides and other crystals in the Grape-vine 

 have been long known (Edwin Quekett, Lindley's ' Introduction 

 to Botany'); and I have already indicated that the character may 

 pervade the whole order (' Annals/ Dec. 1863 and Jan. 1865). 

 Lately I have repeated my former observations, and extended them 

 to more species of this order and its allies. The Vitaceae exa- 

 mined are Cissies discolor, Vitis vinifera, V. odoratissima, V. apii- 

 folia, Ampelopsis hederacea and two other species, and two species 

 of Leea. Every one of these plants afforded raphides and sphae- 

 raphides in more or less abundance. The Leea, though merely 

 old dried fragments of leaves and flowers, exhibited the raphides 

 and sphaeraphides in abundance, the raphides often in bundles, 

 and still more frequently swimming separately in the water on 

 the object-plate. All the other Vitaceae were fresh and healthy 

 plants. In Cissus, the sprigs, tendrils, young leaves, and stipules 

 all abound in raphides, some within short oval-shaped cells; 

 there were also other cells, longer, much tougher, and narrower 

 than the former, pointed or nipple-shaped at the ends, and con- 

 taining raphis-like objects. Whether these be true raphides 

 requires further examination to determine ; for they are very 

 fine and fragile, and (unlike the obvious raphides of this plant) 

 difficult to separate from each other and from their cells. 

 They are common, with the regular raphidian cells, in the leaves, 

 and especially plentiful in the thick base of the stipules. 



Pittosporacea. — Fresh leaves and twigs of Pittosporum andu- 

 laium and P. tobira : some sphaeraphides in the leaves and meso- 

 phlceum, but no raphides. Dried fragments of leaves and flowers 

 of Bursaria spinosa, Marianthus candidus, M. sp., and Cheiran- 

 thera linearis : a few sphaeraphides in each of these plants, but 

 no raphides. Fresh leaves of Sollya heterophylla : no raphides, 



