264 



ON SEEDLINGS 



obovate, obtuse, entire, lying in the broad way of the seed with their 

 edges to the axis ; radicle short, terete, obtuse, much shorter than 

 the cotyledons. 



Lithospermum officinale, L. 



Fruit of four nutlets, or fewer by abortion, each one- seeded, 

 ovoid ; walls of nutlet thick, woody, externally bluish-white, of stony 

 hardness and appearing enamelled. 



Seed ovoid, conforming to the interior of the nutlet, to which it 

 is closely applied, occupying the whole of the interior except a small 

 empty space at the ventral suture, laterally attached to the placenta, 

 and by growth subsequent to fertilisation appearing basally attached 

 or nearly so ; radicle superior. 



Endosperm absent. 



Embryo straight, large, obovoid, pale yellowish-white, occupying 

 the whole interior of the seed ; cotyledons oval, rounded and entire 

 at the apex, plano-convex and thick ; radicle turbinate, obtuse, 

 much shorter than the cotyledons and directed into the obtusely 

 conical point of the nutlet and seed. 



Seedling (fig. 538). 



Primary root normal, tapering, fibrous. 

 Hypocotyl erect, terete, pale green, pubescent, 

 3-9 mm. long. 



Cotyledons obovate or subrotund-elliptic, 

 emarginate, tapering into the petiole, light green, 

 with short, bulbous -rooted hairs on the margin and 

 upper surface, nearly glabrous beneath, with a dis- 

 tinct midrib but no lateral nerves ; lamina 1-5 cm. 

 long, 1-1'3 cm. wide; petiole broad, shallowly 

 grooved above, perfoliate at the base, closely 

 pubescent, pale green, 6-8 mm. long. 



Stem herbaceous, erect, terete, closely covered 

 with adpressed pubescence, directed upwards, pale 

 green ; 1st internode 1-8-2-7 cm. long ; 2nd un- 

 developed ; 3rd slightly elongated. 

 Leaves simple, entire, cauline, alternate (first two opposite), 

 exstipulate, petiolate, covered all over with subadpressed, bulbous- 

 rooted hairs, pale green ; petioles rather broad, flattened; shallowly 

 grooved above, hairy like the leaf, semiamplexicaul at the base. 



Nos. 1 and 2. Oblong-elliptic, minutely cuspidate, opposite, but 

 unequal in size, with a few alternate, ascending nerves. 



Nos. 3 and 4. Slightly alternating with each other, lanceolate- 



