44 



ON SEEDLINGS 



cells of the ovary is generally aborted while the greater part 

 of the drupaceous fruit is occupied by one large seed. The 

 ovary and fruit of Aucuba japonica are one-celled, and the 

 latter contains a very large ovoid seed enclosing a minute 

 embryo close to the upper end of the endosperm. The 

 blunt radicle constitutes by far the larger part of the 

 embryo and is much wider than the cotyledons. The latter 

 are narrowly oblong in Curtisia, linear in Corokia, foliaceous, 

 twisted and plicate in Alangium. 



Seedlings. Few of the members of this Order are often 

 grown from seed, with ex- 

 ception of Cornus, Aucuba, 

 Griselinia, Garrya and Coro- 

 kia, and but a few species 

 even of these. Seedlings 

 are still less common. The 

 seedlings of Aucuba japonica 

 (fig. 419) are large and 

 vigorous notwithstanding 

 the diminutive size of the 

 embryo while in the seed. 

 This is to be accounted for by 

 the large quantity of endo- 

 sperm available during ger- 

 mination. The hypocotyl is 

 very stout and elongated ; 

 and the cotyledons are ovate, 

 obtuse, three- to five-nerved 

 and entire. They seem to 

 be exceeded in size by those 

 of the variety named A. j. 

 ilicifolia, which sometimes 

 attain a length of 3'5 cm., 

 and a breadth of 2*1 cm. 

 The first two pairs of leaves 

 are opposite, and ovate, with 

 a few coarse teeth. The 



seedling of A. japonica observed produced only one pair of 

 leaves and went to rest with its bud covered by two pairs of 



FIG. 419. Aucuba japonica. Nat. size. 



