113 Mr. J. Miers o?i the Winteraceae. 



verticillated ovaries are partly sunk. Dr. Gray describes the 

 external brittle tunic of the seed as loosely adhering to the 

 "obscurely sculptured surface of the spongy membranaceous 

 inner integument." According to my observations on Illicium 

 anisatum, the single seed, found in each of its follicles, is of an 

 oval form, laterally much compressed, very hard and polished, 

 and lies with its longest diameter horizontally and its transverse 

 diameter vertically within the radiating pericarp, where it is 

 attached to the axile placenta by its hilum, which there forms a 

 large hollow cavity closed by a fungous substance : along its 

 upper margin is a somewhat prominent ridge, which has been 

 described as the raphe; but this is not correct, although the 

 cord of the raphe exists below it, but in no way connected with 

 it : this ridge is formed merely by the pressure of its growth 

 against the corresponding sutural line of the pericarp. This 

 outer shell of the seed is hard, crystalline, and somewhat brittle, 

 consisting of a number of hexagonoid cylinders, which, under 

 the microscope, appear formed of radiating spicula subsequently 

 filled towards the external face with solid crustaceous matter; it 

 is uniform in thickness and texture, except round the open 

 mouth of its large basal aperture, which is closed by the fungous 

 hilum; it is there somewhat thicker; it is lined throughout 

 with a thin, pellicular, loosely adherent membrane with very 

 distinct, large, oblong reticulations, and which is easily scraped 

 off. Between this and the next coating is a layer of very elon- 

 gated oil-cells or glands, in three or four adhering layers, which 

 do not always run parallel with one another, but often cross, so 

 as to form cancellated bands, thus producing the bullate and 

 "sculptured surface" mentioned by Dr. Gray: these oil-cells 

 are coloured, translucent, with a minutely dotted surface; and 

 they dry into a brittle furfuraceous stratum, quite free from the 

 surrounding integuments. The next tunic is very thick and 

 fleshy, and may be detached in an entire state ; it appears to be 

 a continuation of the more solid or fungous hilar portion, near 

 which it becomes gradually and considerably thickened : within 

 the fleshy tissue of this integument is found the simple cord of 

 the raphe, consisting of spiral and other vessels, which, origi- 

 nating in the hilum, runs along the upper margin, and termi- 

 nates near the other extremity in the chalazal disk. The nucleus, 

 which completely fills this sac, is considerably smaller, of an 

 oval shape, somewhat less compressed, and a little rostrated 

 where it points towards the hilum, which has a corresponding 

 hollow for its reception ; this is covered by two distinct mem- 

 branes, of which the outermost or third integument is reticulated 

 with long polygonoid areoles, while the next or fourth integu- 

 ment, which immediately invests the albumen, is somewhat 



