222 ON SEEDLINGS 



where they are connate and form a little cup round the stem, about 

 1-5-2 mm. long, and 1 mm. broad at the base. 



Stem herbaceous, with the lower very slightly developed inter- 

 nodes covered by the connate and sheathing bases of the leaves ; 

 primary one remaining short and barren ; lateral shoots or branches 

 elongating and fruiting. 



Leaves simple, entire, radical and cauline, opposite, exstipulate, 

 sessile, dilated, connate and sheathing at the base, glabrous, and 

 covered with numerous, elevated, very minute, hyaline points, 

 bright green, without discernible venation, or with the midrib indi- 

 cated by a slightly elevated ridge on the under side. 



FIG. 202. "Buffonia Oliveriana, x 24. A, vertical section of seed : 

 B, radicle ; H, hilum ; C, cotyledon ; P, endosperm ; T, testa ; 

 I T, tegmen. B, transverse section of seed : H, radicle , P, endo- 

 sperm ; C, cotyledon. 



1st pair narrowly linear, acute, flattened above. 



3rd to 5th pairs narrowly linear, but still much broader than the 

 first pair, acute, or tipped with a slender hyaline seta or bristle, con- 

 vex above and minutely revolute at the margins. 



Buffonia Oliveriana, Ser. (fig. 202). 



Fruit a capsule, obovoid, much compressed laterally, pale-coloured, 

 glabrous, one-celled, generally two-seeded, dehiscing longitudinally 

 by two valves. 



Seed vertical, oblong, much compressed laterally, obtuse at the 

 upper end, notched at the base, owing to the curvature of the ovule, 

 finely and closely rugoso-reticulate and even developed into numerous 

 small points or teeth round the margin ; hilum and micropyle con- 

 tiguous, basal ; raphe none. 



