272 OX SEEDLINGS 



Pentapetes phoenicea, L. 



Fruit a capsule, shortly globose-oblong, five-celled, many-seeded, 

 with the seeds arranged horizontally in two rows, dehiscing loculici- 

 dally from base to apex, separating from a plumose nerve (the mid- 

 rib of the carpel) ; epicarp crustaceous, brown ; endocarp thinner, 

 membranous, pale. 



Seed obovoid, subtrigonous or variously angled, minutely reticu- 

 lated ; seed-coat double ; outer (testa) crustaceous, brown ; inner 

 (tegmen) thin, pale ; micropyle and hilum basal ; chalaza apical ; 

 raphe on the superior side of the horizontal seed, facing the 

 apex of the ovary. Seed 2'5 mm. long, 2 mm. broad, and 2 mm. 

 thick. 



Endosperm copious, forming a white layer round the inner face 

 of the seed, while all the rest lying in the middle of the seed and 

 between the folds of the embryo is transparent and mucilaginous, 

 swelling up in water, when it becomes white. 



Embryo large, folded or doubled upon itself, definitely in the 

 lower half, but somewhat indefinitely above ; cotyledons deeply bifid, 

 growing till they reach the apex of the seed, when they become first 

 concave on the side towards the raphe (upper side), and then strongly 

 folded in that direction. Growth at the apex is here stopped for 

 want of space, but the embryo continues to develop and is able to 

 attain a much larger size by lateral extension of the cotyledons 

 round the sides of the seed, sometimes in one direction, sometimes 

 in another, producing the oblong lobes above mentioned. The 

 venation consists of five nerves, the middle one of which is very 

 short and ends at the apex, giving off a slender nerve up each side 

 of the apical sinus ; the two nerves, one on each side of the midrib, 

 are the strongest and run to the apex of the lobes ; the lateral 

 nerves are very short and not very conspicuous. Eadicle straight, 

 oblong, obtuse, occupying the greater part of the length of the 

 seed. 



Seedling (fig. 219). 



Hypocotyl erect, terete, thinly glandular-pubescent, pale green, 

 2-5-4-5 cm. long. 



Cotyledons petiolate; lamina deeply bifid with ovate, obtuse, 

 diverging lobes, each binerved, while the midrib forks in the sinus, 

 thinly glandular-pubescent at the margin, pale green ; petiole semi- 

 terete, shallowly grooved above, thinly glandular-pubescent, 4- 

 7 mm. long ; lamina 8-12 mm. long, 8-10 mm. broad. 



Stem herbaceous, erect, thinly glandular-pubescent, pale green ; 

 1st internode 6 mm. long ; 2nd 1-75 mm. ; 3rd 1 mm. 



