598 ON SEEDLINGS 



of the fleshy cotyledons. This behaviour shows that the plant 

 is adapted to germinate and rise through a considerable depth 

 of superincumbent sand, or other material. The fleshy coty- 

 ledons and the large subterranean tuberous root would also 

 show an adaptation to a dry climate or soil. 



Trichosanthes Anguina, L. 



Root fibrous. 



Hypocotyl herbaceous, 5-8 cm. long, 3-4 mm. thick, twisted , 

 suberect, multiangular, slightly pubescent, pale green. 



Cotyledons opposite, sometimes but rarely 1-3 and whorled 

 (probably liable to still further modification), sessile, oblong-spathu- 

 late, obtuse, often emarginate, with entire, undulated and recurved 

 margins, obscurely trinerved above, outer nerves showing veins 

 running towards the margin if seen from below, thick, scabrous, 

 rather persistent. 



Stem ridged, suberect ; 1st internode 3-4 cm. long, 2 mm. thick, 

 slightly pubescent and scabrous ; 2nd 5-7 cm. long, 1/5 mm. thick, 

 with swollen buds in the axils of the first leaves and more hispid ; 

 in some the first two internodes are very short and stout, while 

 the third elongates considerably. 



Leaves usually alternate, but often opposite or even whorled, 

 long-petioled, 7-12 cm. long, 4-7 cm. wide (the alternate ones being 

 the largest, cordate-ovate, with deep base and acute or acuminate 

 apex, sinuate-dentate, or doubly dentate, often irregularly lobed, 

 scabrous on both surfaces as well as on the margin, palmatinerved 

 and very distinctly veined, slightly convex, thin, yellowish-green 

 above, less shining and lighter below. 



The second pair, or tbe tbird alternate leaf, or the first one above 

 the lower pair of the usual palmatilobed form, have a tendril in the 

 axil of the petiole. 



Trichosanthes cucumerina, L. (fig. 381). 



Primary root long, tapering, much branched especially near the 



Hypocotyl undeveloped, subterranean. 



Cotyledons oblong-ovate, obtuse, plano-convex, fleshy, narrowed 

 at the base to very short petioles, bursting tbe testa during germi- 

 nation, and partly or not at all expanded, strictly subterranean, 

 conforming in outline to tbe shape of the seed. 



Stem terete, hairy, climbing by means of tendrils ; 1st inter- 

 node elongated. 



