300 OX SEEDLINGS 



according to a figure of Le Maout and Decaisne ' a species of 

 Geranium has the hilum close to the base. G. Endresii has 

 the ovule attached as near as possible at the middle, and the 

 radicle is of moderate length. In G. Wallichianum, the ovule 

 being attached above the middle and campylotropous, the 

 radicle is very short. In Le Maout and Decaisne's figure 

 above-mentioned the ovule is practically erect and anatropous, 

 while the radicle elongates until it almost equals the cotyle- 

 dons in length. 



In Erodium there is the same variation in the attachment 

 of the seed. It is pendulous and attached above the middle 

 in E. trichomanefolium, which is half anatropous, with the 

 radicle and the apex of the cotyledons uppermost, while that 

 of E. Manescavi is attached almost by the base, while the 

 radicle is greatly elongated and reaches to the hilum, the seed 

 being erect and almost anatropous with the micropyle inferior. 

 The seed of E . Manescavi tapers downwards, whereas that of 

 E. trichomanefolium tapers upwards. The wider end always 

 includes the radicle, which in this genus is greatly thickened. 

 There is a corresponding reduction in the width of the coty- 

 ledons, which taper somewhat towards the apex and are much 

 less perfectly convolute than in Geranium. In E. trichomane- 

 folium the two cotyledons are folded separately with their 

 edges towards one another, or they slightly overlap with the 

 thick radicle squeezed in the hollow between them. While 

 yet in the seed there is a moderately deep notch on the margin, 

 but below the middle on each side of both cotyledons, or the 

 longer side only may be so notched. 



The cotyledons are petiolate while yet in the seed for the 

 same reason as in Geranium. In Erodium Manescavi one 

 cotyledon folds over and almost completely encloses the other, 

 which is accordingly somewhat smaller, while the much 

 thickened radicle is flattened against the back of the outer 

 and larger one. The embryo of E. gruihum is nearly as con- 

 voluted as that of Geranium ; but both cotyledons are some- 

 what foreshortened on the edges next the radicle, which is 

 thick, fleshy, subtrigonous, and occupies a considerable 

 amount of space. 



1 Le Maout and Decaisne, Eng. edit. 1876, pp. 306-7. 



