THE FEMALE GAMETOPHYTE 



increased remarkably in size, and after fertilization the cells 

 increase rapidly and divide, forming a group of eight or more 

 cells with remarkably large nuclei. In addition to these three 

 monocotyledonous families, a prominent antipodal region has 

 been found in Triglochin maritima (Hill 76 ), in which there 

 are three to fourteen cells ; very large but undivided antipodals 

 have been found in Lilaea (Campbell 56 ), Commelina (Guig- 

 nard 12 ), Ornithogalum, Gladiolus, and Crocus (Mottier 36 ), 

 Narcissus and Iris (Guignard 12 ), and Romulea (Ferraris 12 ) ; 

 and Ikeda 106 reports that in Tricyrtis the antipodals fill up 

 the " chalazal protuberance," become elongated with it, and 

 reach their maximum length just before fertilization. 



Among the Archichlamydeae, the Ranunculaceae are espe- 

 cially characterized by the activity of the antipodal cells, shown 

 both by their great size and 

 multinucleate condition, and 

 also by their divisions. We 

 have records of twelve genera, 

 and in all of them the antipo- 

 dals are conspicuous. In 1879 

 Strasburger 5 reported the an- 

 tipodals of Myosurus as very 

 prominent, and in 1882 Guig- 

 nard 12 described the antipodals 

 of Erianiliis as large, those of 

 Clematis as very large and bi- 

 nucleate, and those of Hepatica 

 as forming a great group and 

 becoming multinucleate after 

 fertilization. In 1890 Wester- 

 maier 23 reported large antipo- 

 dals in Ranunculaceae, among 

 them NifjeUa; and in 1895 

 Mottier 36 investigated a num- 

 ber of genera and described the 

 antipodals of Delphinium tri- 

 corne as very large, growing 

 with the embryo-sac, and persisting till after fertilization; 

 those of Caltlia palustris as large, pyriform, and multinu- 

 cleate; those of Aquilegia canadensis as growing enormously 



FIG. 46. Aconitum Napellus. Longitudi- 

 nal section of embryo-sac after fertili- 

 zation, showing the three very large 

 antipodals : nuclei of endosperm in mi- 

 tosis; x 45. After OSTERWALDER. 



