276 OX SEEDLINGS 



longitudinally and transversely on the back, blunter at the basal 

 end, deep brown, almost black, densely pubescent ; hilum incon- 

 spicuous ; tegmen very much invaginated from the inner angle of 

 the seed which is almost divided in two internally ; micropyle also 

 invaginated, containing at first the whole embryo, ultimately only 

 the radicle. 



Endosperm in the mature seed copious, clear or subtransparent, 

 embedding the embryo, swelling up and mucilaginous in water. 



Embryo large, curved, pale yellowish ; cotyledons broad, deeply 

 bifid, condu plicated and variously folded or plaited, one half of each 

 lying on each side of the deep imagination of the tegmen ; radicle 

 large, curved, lying in the invagination of the micropyle towards or 

 at the base of the dorsal aspect of the seed. 



Seedling. 



Hypocotyl erect, terete, glabrous, about 1-6-2 cm. above the 

 soil. 



Cotyledons deeply bifid with diverging lobes, petiolate, thick and 

 subcoriaceous and more or less shining, glabrous, deep green above, 

 paler beneath, with a midrib reaching nearly to the sinus, and giving 

 off from each side towards the base two strong nerves running 

 nearly to the apex of the lateral lobes where they join ; there is 

 often present a third but more slender nerve from each side near 

 the apex which runs along the inner edge of the lobes ; lamina 

 about 1 cm. long to the apex of the midrib, and about 2-2 cm. 

 to the apex of the ascending lateral lobes, 2 - 6 2'8 cm. from tip 

 to tip of the lobes ; petiole semiterete, channelled above, glabrous, 

 68 mm. long. 



Stem erect at first, terete or slightly furrowed from the base of 

 the petioles downwards, flexuose or zigzag, dull brownish-green, 

 glabrous ; internodes often extremely irregular in the early stages 

 of the plant ; 1st one undeveloped or 5 mm. long ; 2nd 2*5 mm.- 

 2-1 cm. 



Leaves simple, cauline, alternate, but often opposite, or irregu- 

 larly fascicled in the younger state of the plant, exstipulate, petio- 

 late, alternately and ascendingly penninerved, or oppositely nerved 

 towards the base with numerous slender nerves branching and 

 anastomosing with one another within the margin of the leaf, sub- 

 coriaceous, glabrous, more or less shining on both surfaces, deep 

 green above, bright green beneath ; petioles subterete, slightly 

 channelled above, stout, somewhat decurrent on the stem, dull 

 brownish-green, glabrous, tapering somewhat upwards. 



Early leaves very variable in outline. 



