ISSo.] 



MICROSCOPICAL JOURNAL. 



49 



of srveat size, irregrular in form and 

 thickness in the same specimen ; some- 

 times full, smooth or striated, some- 

 times flattened, folded, or in ribbons, 

 the central canal visible, often con- 

 taining isolated masses of yellow or 

 brown grains; points elongated, termi- 

 nating in spade or lance-like or round- 

 ed forms. 



o""" , 05 ; 

 Chinese Nettle. 



L. 120' 



R. 2400 



(/. Sections blue or violet, always 

 isolated, rounded, oval, kidney-shape, 

 etc. . . . ; central cavity often con- 

 taining vellow granular masses. 



Fibres blue or violet, never in 

 bunches, ribbon like, striated, in 

 folds, twisted upon themselves, pre- 

 senting on each side a round border 

 like a hem Cotton. 



2. Sections blue or violet, polyg- 

 onal, rounded, or of irregular form 

 with re-entrant angles, circumscribed 

 by a vellow thread. 



a. Irregular groups of polygonal 

 sections with central linear opening, 

 simple or with many branches or of 

 irregular form with re-entrant angles 

 and large opening, entangled with 

 each other in groups where they ap- 

 pear in close contact ; concentric lay- 

 ers with growth very plainly marked 

 and often of difl'erent tints. No vel- 

 low granulations in the interior. 



Fibres blue, of a greenish or dirty 

 yellow color, of iri'egular diameter, 

 frequently collected in compact bun- 

 dles, striated or grooved, showing a 

 few small fibres, detached or still ad- 

 hering ; marked by cross lines, al- 

 most black and very fine ; central 

 canal somewhat difficult to recognize, 

 large, flat points, terminating in the 

 form of a spade, etc. . . . 



L. 22"°' : D. o""" , 022 ; 



R. 1000 ... Hemp. 



b. Numerous groups, compact, well 

 arranged, frequently taking the form 

 of across ; composedof sections which 

 have great analogy to those of hemp ; 

 although the entire sections, polygonal 

 or oval, very often have a small round 

 cavity, not linear ; this cavity is some- 



times garnished with yellow gran- 

 ulations. Many fine, well-marked 

 growth-layers are seen, those on the 

 outside sometimes colored yellow, 

 while those on the inside are blue. 

 Yellow network, usually thick, enclos- 

 ing the sections. Frequent openings 

 cross the walls of the fibres and join 

 corresponding openings of neigh- 

 boring fibres. The hollow part of the 

 cross is sometimes adorned with round 

 or oval groups composed of network 

 of a subdued yellow, with large or 

 small meshes. 



Fibres blue, green or yellow, some 

 nearly full, sometimes containing yel- 

 low or brown granular masses ; others 

 flattened, in ribbons of which the in- 

 terior is empty. The body of the full 

 fibres presents folds in the form of a 

 cross, and swellings like flax, but the 

 central canal attains dimensions that 

 are not found in flax ; ends like those 

 of hemp. 



L. 7""" to 8""" ; D. o""" , 03 ; 



R. 260 Sunn. 



c. Groups not large, composed of 

 small, blue sections, quite uniform in 

 size, enclosed in a yellow network to 

 which they adhere slightly and whose 

 meshes are sometimes empty ; their 

 form has great resemblance to that of 

 hemp ; but with more compact walls, 

 marked by a few concentric layers, 

 generally not very distinct ; central 

 cavity almost always open containing 

 a yellow substance like grain. 



Longitudinal bunches not easily di- 

 vided with a needle ; fibres blue, very 

 fine, of uniform size, separated, dis- 

 tinct even in bunches ; color sullied 

 sometimes by a yellow envelope 

 which then appears on each side of 

 the fibre like a straight, brilliant yel- 

 low line. 



There are two kinds of fibres : one 

 full, smooth and clear ; central canal 

 indistinguishable except when it con- 

 tains masses of yellow granulations, 

 points sharp and slender ; the other, 

 flat, deeply striated, ribbon like ; in- 

 terior canal empty, scarcely ever visi- 

 ble ; the points of the latter large and 

 rounded. 



