VALERIANE.E 81 



cotyledons are concerned. The first leaf is rotund, slightly 

 cordate at the base, and obtusely angled. The second is 

 larger, five-nerved and dentate. The ultimate leaves are 

 opposite and pinnatisect. The cotyledons of Centranthus 

 macrosiphon (fig. 445) are broader and relatively shorter. 

 The first five pairs of leaves are broadly ovate, serrate-den- 

 tate, and the ultimate ones scarcely differ. The first pair of 

 Patrinia rupestris are spathulate, obtuse, and entire, while 

 succeeding ones vary from lanceolate to elliptic, and are 

 bluntly serrate. 



The germinating seedling of Valerianella coronata (fig. 446) 

 shows a remarkable contrivance for fixing the fruit or achene 

 to the soil while the embryo makes its escape. The embryo 

 swells up and bursts through the side of the fruit beneath the 

 calyx-limb ; then the radicle pierces through the latter, enter- 

 ing by the outer face and pushing through both sides enters 

 the ground, thus pinning the fruit to the soil, while the 

 cotyledons are pulled out in a comparatively short time and 

 spread out to the light. At this stage they are shortly oblong, 

 entire and sessile. 



Valeriana officinalis, L. 



Fruit an inferior achene, ovate, dorso-ventrally compressed, 

 crowned with a conspicuous feathery, pappus-like calyx, which is 

 articulated with the achene, one-nerved on the back and trinerved 

 on the face ; the two lateral nerves are filiform, and represent the 

 two aborted cells. 



Seed narrowly obovate, pendulous from the top of the cavity of 

 the fertile cell, dorsally compressed, and otherwise conforming to 

 the interior of the cell ; hilum basal at the upper end of the seed ; 

 micropyle close to the hilum and superior ; chalaza inconspicuous, 

 apical. 



Endosperm forming a thin film, surrounding the embryo, white. 



Embryo straight, large, colourless, more or less filling the seed, 

 and conforming to it in outline ; cotyledons obovate-oblong, rounded 

 at the apex, entire, tapering at the base ; radicle short, stout, 

 obtuse. 



Seedling. 



Primary root tapering, slender, fibrous. 



Hypocotyl very short, terete, glabrous, 1-5 mm. long. 



II. G 



