394 



STUDIES IN SEEDS AND FRUITS 



either white or green. But this point has only arisen during- 

 the preparation of these pages ; and I append a few results 

 of observations respecting it in the case of plants ready at 

 my hand. 



Observations on the Colour of the Hypocotyl or Caulicle 

 IN Embryos of Soft, Full-grown, Unripe Seeds when the. 

 Cotyledons are Green. 



(With the exception of the two last in the first column all are leguminous.) 



Note. — When the entire embryo is green, and the colour is dark, the hypocotyl is 

 often paler than the cotyledons. 



With the exception of wrinkled Peas {Pisum sativum).^ green 

 embryos have not often come under my notice in the typical 

 resting seed. That they are not infrequent, however, is 

 shown in the statement made in The Natural History of Plants 

 (i. 622) of Kerner and Oliver that in Firs and Pines, Maples, 

 and some Crucifera, in Loranthus^ Mistletoe, and the Japanese 

 Sophora.^ the cotyledons are green whilst enclosed in the seed, 

 their epidermis being provided with stomata. In this connection 

 it may be noted that fruits of the Sycamore Maple {Acer Pseudo- 

 platanus)., which I have been keeping for nearly two years, have 

 embryos dark green in hue. It should be remarked that in 

 the green fruit of this tree the green embryo is enclosed in 

 whitish seed-coverings. Here also reference may be made 

 to the dark green embryo of the seed of Montrichardia 

 arborescens., an arborescent aroid that came under my observation 



