462 



ON SEEDLINGS 



Endosperm copious, very tough and almost colourless when moist, 

 hard and cartilaginous when dry, occupying the greater part of the 

 interior of the seed. 



Embryo large and nearly as long as the endosperm, straight, 

 central, but obliquely twisted, so that in transverse section it 

 traverses the endosperm diagonally by two curves, the edges of the 

 cotyledons abutting against the inner wall of the seed and cutting 

 the endosperm in two ; cotyledons oblong, obtuse, entire, slightly 



cordate at the base, trinerved 

 longitudinally, while short, 

 alternate, ascending nerves 

 are given off from the mid- 

 rib, closely applied face to 

 face, thick, flat, rather fleshy, 

 pale yellow ; radicle very 

 short, stout, obtuse, subovoid, 

 lying hi a cavity of the en- 

 dosperm close to the micro- 

 pyle, straight, many times 

 shorter than the cotyledons. 



Seedling (fig. 302). 

 Hypocotyl woody, erect, 

 terete, substriate by the burst- 

 ing of the epidermis, finely 

 pubescent, glabrescent, green 

 and afterwards becoming 

 brown, 4-6 cm. long. 



Coft/Zedowsfoliaceous, short- 

 ly petiolate, oblong or obovate- 

 oblong, rounded at the end, tri- 

 nerved and reticulate, 2-4 cm. 

 long, 1'4 cm. broad. 



Stem woody, erect, flexuous 

 or zigzag at the joints, terete, 

 pubescent, green ; 1st inter- 

 node 5 mm. long ; 2nd, 3rd, and 4th each about 1 mm. ; 5th 

 2 mm. ; 6th 3*5 mm. ; 7th 4 mm. 



Leaves cauline, alternate, compound, stipulate, petiolate, abruptly 

 pinnate ; petioles and under side of leaflets pubescent ; upper side 

 glabrous, deep green ; under side pale or glaucous. 



No. 1. Consisting of one pair of deformed, unequal-sized leaf- 

 lets. 



FIG. 302. Cassia Fistula. Nat. size. 



