406 ON THE FEMALE FLOWER AND FRUIT OF 



thougli ill several of the specimens examined tliey were 

 greatly altered in a[)pearance, from a coating of mucous 

 matter taken up and again deposited by the spirit in which 

 the specimens were preserved.-^ A slight diflerence, indeed, 

 seems to exist between the tissue of the apices of the styles 

 and the other parts of their surface ; hardly sufficient, how- 

 ever, to prove it to be stigma, tliongh this is no doubt the 

 probal)le seat of that organ. 



The next point of importance in the female flower o{ Raffle- 

 6'ia is the structure and gradual development of the ovula. 

 These, in the earliest state observed, consist of merely 

 conical or subcylindrical papillae, having a perfectly smooth 

 surface as well as uniform internal substance. 



The first perceptible change taking place in the papilla is 

 a slight contraction at its summit, the upper minute con- 

 tracted apex being the rudiment of the nucleus. Imme- 

 diately below^ this contracted portion a dilatation is soon 

 observable, which, gradually enlarging and becoming slightly 

 hollowed, forms a cup in wdiich the nucleus, also propor- 

 tionally increased in size, is partly immersed. This cup, 

 the rudiment of the future integument, continues gradually 

 to enlarge, until it completely covers and extends consider- 

 ably beyond the nucleus, but without cohering with it. If 

 a transverse section is made near the slightly depressed 

 2;26] apex of this integument, an extremely minute perforation 

 or capillary channel, extending to the free apex of the in- 

 cluded nucleus, may be observed. 



This account of the gradual development of the ovuluni 

 of Majjlesia, I believe, is in every essential point applicable to 

 Phsenogamous plants generally, except that here one coat 

 only is developed. It is, however, in some important points 

 different from the description given by M. Mirbel, who con- 

 siders the nucleus in its earliest state as included in the 

 integuments, which in the next stage open and dilate so as 

 to leave it entirely exposed ; they then, as he supposes, re- 

 main quiescent until the nucleus has considerably enlarged. 



1 See Mr. Bauer's reprcbcnlatiou of the hairs iu this state, Tab. 22 (XXUI), 

 ligs. o, 4, 5, 6, and 7. 



