POSITION OF EMBRYO IN SEED 67 



ing towards the base, obtuse, entire, and with their faces 

 towards the placenta ; the radicle is inferior, obtuse, and 

 shorter than the cotyledons. 



In P. lanceolata (fig. 113) the capsule is also 2-celled, with 

 one seed in each cell. The seed is concave on the ventral 

 side, at first pale green, at length becoming yellow. The 

 hilum is oval, forming a white or pale spot about or a little 

 below the middle on the ventral aspect. The endosperm is 

 abundant, fleshy, or almost horny when dry, and semitrans- 

 parent. The embryo is straight, white, embedded in the 

 endosperm, and a little shorter than the seed. The cotyledons 

 are narrowly oblong or linear, obtuse, plano-convex, closely 

 applied face to face, and with their 

 edges to the placenta. The radicle 

 is narrower than the cotyledons, 

 inferior, and tapering downwards. 



In P. Coronopus the capsule is 

 many-seeded. The seeds are oblong- 

 oval, suddenly tapering to an obtuse Fm U3 ._ Plantago lanceolata . 



point at the lower end, Small, in Transverse section of seed, 



X l^ 



transverse section somewhat dia- 

 mond-shaped, with the angles rounded off, and attached to 

 the placenta considerably below the middle. They are much 

 smaller than those of P. media, and differ much among them- 

 selves. The embryo is comparatively large, straight, central, 

 nearly equalling the endosperm in length ; the cotyledons are 

 linear obtuse, entire, plano-convex, thick, closely applied face 

 to face, and with their edges to the placenta. 



In P. rnaritima the fruit is narrowly ovoid, 2-celled, 2-seeded. 

 The seed is oblong-lanceolate, biconvex or flattened on the 

 ventral side. The embryo is straight, large, and nearly fills 

 the seed; the cotyledons have their edges to the placenta. 



In P. Cynops the fruit is green, with a pale line where the 

 two carpels come together, and a darker one along the middle 

 of the carpel, giving it in a young state the appearance of 

 consisting of four carpels, 2-celled, 2-seeded. The seed is 

 ovate, obtuse, peltate, compressed dorsally, concave on the 

 ventral side, smooth, shining, deep green when young, and 

 sufficiently transparent to show the embryo by transmitted 



r 2 



