438 



ON SEEDLINGS 



Hypocotyl subterranean, fleshy, colourless, very short (about 

 1-75 mm. long). 



Cotyledons subterranean, plano-convex, fleshy, each occupying 

 half the interior of the seed, unequal-sided, so that the petioles or 

 point of attachment to the plumule are at one side, horizontal, rotund, 

 about 2 mm. in diameter, yellow and wrinkled after germination ; 



petioles unequal or the 

 lower one undeveloped, 

 while the upper one is 

 developed and curved just 

 as much as will allow the 

 cotyledons to lie hori- 

 zontally. The cotyledons 

 do sometimes stand ver- 

 tically on their edges and 

 then both petioles are 

 equally developed. 



Stem erect, but always 

 hooked, curved or twisted 

 at the tip, together with 

 the youngest visible leaf, 

 by which it hangs on to 

 an object for support, 

 with the internodes al- 

 ternately flattened and 

 angled on opposite sides, 

 the angle running down 

 the centre of the flattened 

 face of the internode 

 beneath it, pale green, 

 glabrous ; 1st internode 

 4-5 mm. long; 2nd 7'5 

 mm. ; 3rd 1*9 cm. ; 4th 

 1'5 cm. ; 5th 1'85 cm. 



Leaves simple, entire, 

 cauline, alternate, dis- 

 tichous, stipulate, sessile 

 and slightly decurrent, thinly and minutely ciliate at the margin, 

 otherwise glabrous, light green ; stipules small, subulate, acute, 

 inserted where the leaf is free from the stem, except in the case of 

 the first two scale-like leaves, where they are seated above the base, 

 or may be altogether inconspicuous in the first. 



Nos. 1 and 2. Small, subulate, acute, scale-like and adpressed to 

 the stem, carinate. 



FIG. 284. Lathyrus Nissolia. Nat. size. 



