CAPRIFOLIACE.^ 47 



rally slightly trigonous. The lateral raphe (see p. 50) almost 

 entirely encompasses the seeds, a very exceptional case in any 

 Natural Order of Phanerogams. The cell of the young ovary 

 greatly exceeds the ovule in size ; and the latter hangs sus- 

 pended from the top of the cavity with the raphe already 

 passing along one side, across the end and partly up the 

 opposite side to the chalaza. The ultimate condition of the 

 raphe seems to be due to a localisation of growth in the 

 lower part of the seed ; so that while the latter is making 

 an effort to occupy the cell which it ultimately completely 

 fills, the chalaza and that part of the seed above it remain 

 stationary, while the lower part lengthens. The raphe in 

 fact does not creep round the edge of the seed, but its great 

 length is due to the inequality of growth in the upper and 

 lower halves. The endocarp and seed of V. Lantana and 

 V. Lentago (fig. 423) agree with those of V. Opulus in all 

 main particulars, but the fruits are much compressed. The 

 seed of V. Lantana is suborbicular and dorso-ventrally much 

 compressed ; that of V. Lentago is more oblong and as 

 much compressed except at the apex, where there is a short 

 ridge or elevation, opposite which is the embryo, and the 

 seed conforms to it at that point. The raphe here is even 

 more extraordinary, for it encircles the seed almost back 

 again to the hilum. 



The second group is typified by V. dentatum (fig. 421), the 

 seed of which is ovoid or subglobose, ridged on both sides at 

 the top as in V. Lentago, but strongly inflexed at the sides, 

 makirg it rather deeply concave on one side. This it does in 

 conformity with the cavity of the endocarp, which indicates 

 an ancestral three-celled condition of the ovary. The raphe 

 almost completely encircles the seed, and is not strictly 

 marginal except at the lower end. Elsewhere it is irregular 

 and undulatory at some distance from the margin. The 

 ovule and young seed behave in a similar manner to those of 

 V. Opulus. The fruit, endocarp and seed of V. montanum 

 (fig. 425) are very much like those of V. dentatum. The 

 raphe differs chiefly in being distant from the much incurved 

 edge of the seed at the lower end. The third group is repre- 

 sented by V. lantanoides (fig. 424). 



