211 



a dense investment of hair. When mature* it opens at the apex, 

 dividing longitudinally into four parts, each of which continues at- 

 tached by its inferior extremity to the common footstalk. 



Each of these four parts is hollow, and its cavity, which retains the 

 figure of a quarter sphere, is filled with an hermaphrodite flower com- 

 posed of stamens and pistils arranged on a common placenta. This 

 placenta is a membranous band attached to the interior spherical por- 

 tion of the membrane which invests the 

 capsule. The pistils, according to Jus- 

 sieu, are ranged on the inferior part of the 

 placenta, and consequently occupy the 

 lower portion of the common receptacle, 

 as exhibited in the annexed cut, which is 

 copied, with some slight alterations, from 

 Mr. Valentine's figure.f The shaded bo- 

 dies represent the so-called pistils of Jus- 

 sieu, and one of these detached is repre- 

 sented below, with its gelatinous covering, the result of immersion 

 in water. The upper part of each cell is occu- 

 pied by smaller granules, which are described as 

 stamens, but this appears a somewhat vague conjec- 

 ture, their office as such never having been clearly 

 proved. Whatever may be the correct designation 

 of the larger granules in their earlier state, it is quite 

 certain that they ultimately become true seeds ; for 

 both the authors quoted have succeeded in tracing 

 their germination, and have recorded their observations on the subject 

 with a close con'espondence which mutually proves their accuracy 

 and precision ; the improvement in the structure of microscopes and 

 the more artistical drawing of Mr. Valentine giving however a decided 

 superiority to his illustrations. These observations are made on the 

 assumption that Mr. Valentine was entirely unacquainted with the 

 contents of M. Jussieu's admirable essay, which, from an observation 

 in his introductory remarks, I most readily believe. 



According to Jussieu the seeds of Pilularia are to be found in the 

 months of September and October, floating on the surface of the wa- 

 ter and germinating in that situation. 



Edward Newmax. 



* This description is quoted nearly verbatim from Jussieu, 1. c. 

 f ' Trans. Linn. Soc' xviii. tab. 35, lig. 30. 



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