238 ON SEEDLINGS 



ovules. The seeds are oblong, solitary and erect from the base of 

 the inner angle of each cavity. The embryo occupies the greater 

 part of the seed, and has thick, oval, plano-convex cotyledons 

 and a well-developed radicle. Gilia laciniata is somewhat 

 similar, but the seeds are very much smaller and the embryo 

 relatively narrower with narrowly oblong, plano-convex coty- 

 ledons, considerably longer than the radicle. The ovules of 

 Polemonium caeruleum are numerous, pendulous, and ana- 

 tropous. The seeds are oblong and rather acutely trigonous 

 by mutual pressure. The embryo almost equals the seed in 

 length, but it is relatively very narrow, with linear-oblong 

 cotyledons about the same length as the radicle. The ovules 

 of Cobsea scandens are very numerous and arranged in a 

 double series on each side of the middle line of the placental 

 axis which is flattened with the placentas separated from one 

 another but by no means prominent. The seeds (fig. 529) are 

 the largest and most distinct of the Order observed ; but they 

 are exceptional rather than characteristic of the Polemoniacese. 

 The fruit is a very large oblong capsule of three to four carpels 

 with six to eight single placentas formed by separation of 

 two that are usually united into one in other Orders. The 

 seeds are large, oval or elliptic, much compressed dorsally, 

 and nearly filled by a large embryo. The cotyledons are 

 ovate-cordate, foliaceous and flat, with numerous incurved 

 veins ; and the terete radicle is very short. 



Seedlings. The cotyledons in this Order are all of simple 

 types, and as a rule moderate hi size. They vary from ovate 

 to oval, spathulate and linear. In Polemonium cseruleum 

 they are oblong-ovate. The first leaf is pinnate and trifolio- 

 late ; the second and third five-foliolate. The cotyledons of 

 Collomia coccinea (fig. 526) are broadly ovate-oblong, gener- 

 ally minutely emarginate, with numerous alternate, ascending, 

 incurved nerves, uniting in a submarginal line. The first 

 pair of leaves are lanceolate-elliptic and entire; the. second 

 similar or with one to two teeth on each side. Cobsea 

 scandens is very exceptional in the Order. The seeds are 

 unusually large and so is the seedling. The cotyledons are 

 large, foliaceous and ovate, subacute with a prominent midrib 

 and primary lateral nerves. The first pair of leaves are 



