416 



ON SEEDLINGS 



testa is, however, sometimes carried up by the cotyledons and splits 



irregularly as the coty- 

 ledons expand. 



Twelve to sixteen 

 seedlings from one fruit 

 are not infrequent. A 

 few instances occur (two 

 to three out of fifty- six) 

 where the radicle and 

 cotyledons emerge to- 

 gether at one side of the 

 fruit, and consequently 

 stand out free from it. 

 One instance occurred 

 amongst fifty- six seed- 

 lings where the cotyle- 

 dons got clear away from 

 the fruit and seed, but 

 the radicle failed to get 

 out and consequently 

 the seedling did not 

 make the same pro- 

 gress as the rest and 

 most likely perished. 

 The cotyledons at this 

 stage are oblong, obtuse, 

 entire, petiolate, nar- 

 rowed to the base, gla- 

 brous, somewhat fleshy, 

 showing a midrib in- 

 distinctly, but no other 

 venation, deep green 

 above, paler beneath, 

 but often suffused with 

 purple. Hypocotyl gla- 

 brous, slender, purplish 

 or ultimately green. 



Melilotus officinalis, 



Willd. 



Primary root nor- 



Fm. zn.-Mediea g o orlicularis, x 2. m&1 ' ^^ ^erculat- 



Nine seedlings, all from one fruit. ed, annual or biennial. 



