OLEACE^E 211 



of the seed-vessel which develops into a samaroid fruit with a 

 wing at the apex in line with its longitudinal axis. The narrow 

 septum becomes ruptured from the walls of the cells during 

 growth and appears like a greatly elongated funicle in the 

 mature fruit. Three out of four ovules become atrophied at 

 an early age, and their remains may be seen close to the short 

 true funicle. 



The characters of the young ovary of Ligustrum japonicum 

 are very similar to those of Fraxinus, but the ovules are 

 inserted a little below the apex of the placenta. 



The fruit, however, is globose and drupaceous, with a 

 globular seed conforming to the interior of the cavity. The 

 embryo is nearly as long as the endosperm, with orbicular 

 cotyledons about equalling the slightly curved radicle. 



Seedlings. The shape of the cotyledons and their length 

 have direct relation to the seeds from whence they are derived, 

 but they may undergo some slight alteration during and after 

 germination. They are enabled to increase greatly in size by 

 feeding upon the endosperm before leaving the seed, and may 

 also profit from the latter by storage of plastic material. At 

 least three fairly distinct types have come under my notice, 

 namely, ovate, oblong, and oval cotyledons. 



Those of Forsythia suspensa (fig. 510) are ovate or oblong- 

 ovate, emarginate and obscurely penninerved. The first pair 

 of leaves are ovate and serrate. The majority of the adult 

 leaves are ovate, but many pinnately trifoliolate ones occur 

 on the same plant or even the same shoot bearing the 

 more typical form. They are, therefore, rather strikingly 

 dimorphic. 



The second type, with oblong cotyledons, is met with in 

 Fraxinus excelsior (fig. 512). The first pair of leaves are 

 ovate and serrate, but the second pair are pinnately trifoliolate, 

 while succeeding ones gradually acquire a greater number of 

 leaflets making an imparipinnate leaf. The cotyledons of 

 F. Sogdiana are broadly oblong and penninerved with a 

 branching venation. The first pair of leaves are like those of 

 F. excelsior, but the second pair are lanceolate-cuneate and 

 serrated above the middle. 



The, cotyledons of Ligustrum japonicum represent the oval 



p 2 



