184 OX SEEDLINGS 



late, acute, hispid (hairs very short and stiff), tapering to the base, 

 almost petiolate, with a midrib, but no lateral nerves apparent. 



Soldanella sp. 



Primary root long, slender, tapering somewhat abruptly below 

 the cotyledons, with numerous fibrous rootlets. 



Hypocotyl not appearing above the soil, scarcely developed. 



Cotyledons minute, ovate, obtuse, entire, petiolate, glabrous, 

 green, without any distinct venation ; the surface is covered with 

 numerous minute pit-like depressions. 



First leaves simple, entire, radical, alternate, oblate or almost 

 reniform, obtuse, slightly and shallowly cordate at the base, ex- 

 stipulate, glabrous, dark green, trinerved ; petioles long, shallowly 

 furrowed or channelled on the upper side. 



Cyclamen persicum, Mill. 



Primary root simple, flexuose, with numerous root-hairs, and 

 soon assisted by numerous adventitious rootlets as strong as itself, 

 springing from the base of the hypocotyl. 



Hypocotyl globose, fleshy, almost colourless at first, becoming 

 afterwards pinkish, then darker, ultimately brown, covered at an 

 early stage with minute brown hairs, forming the persistent rootstock 

 of the plant, and gradually attaining a considerable size. 



Cotyledon one, cordate, obtuse, gradually enlarging and perform- 

 ing the functions of a leaf which it resembles in all respects, alter- 

 nately and incurvedly penninerved, each lateral nerve uniting with 

 the one above it, and giving off branches towards the margin which 

 form a series of reticulations as the lamina enlarges, crenate, fre- 

 quently bearing smaller teeth between, and sometimes glandular 

 papillae, glabrous above, deep opaque green, or finally with pale green 

 or greyish markings, minutely pubescent beneath, and generally 

 deep red ; petiole long, terete at the base, shallowly channelled up- 

 wards, minutely pubescent, pale green or more often stained with red. 



Exceptions occur where the cotyledon assumes the appearance 

 of a compound leaf. Occasionally there are two reniform laminse on 

 a common petiole united to the very apex, while at other times the 

 petiole is separated into two for some considerable way down, each 

 bearing a reniform, crenate or angled lamina. Sometimes three 

 leaves are thus united with the cotyledon instead of one, and when 

 the lower pair is small they appear like stipular organs at the top 

 of the petiole. The venation of each lamina is similar to that of an 

 ordinary cotyledon. In a pot of eighteen seedlings, eight showed 



