402 ON SEEDLINGS 



narrowly obovoid or oblong-obovoid, the former slightly oblique 

 at the base where it is attached to the receptacle. The outer 

 cotyledon is broadly ovate-oblong, concave and surrounds the 

 endosperm ; the inner one is rudimentary and many times 

 thinner than the petiole of its fellow. The radicle is slightly 

 curved about the middle, longer than the larger cotyledon 

 and occupies the longer side of the seed with its tip occupying 

 the slightly prolonged base. The fruit of A. arenaria is ellip- 

 soid and five-angled. The seed is narrowly obovoid. The other 

 characters (fig. 602, A) correspond to those of A. umbellata. 

 Occasionally, however, a seed may be found containing an 

 embryo, the smaller cotyledon of which is of some consider- 

 able size, and nearly half as long as the other. 



Seedlings. As in the seeds so also after germination the 

 cotyledons are unequal. Two leading types may be noticed, 

 namely those which are oblate varying to reniform, and 

 those which vary between oblong and obovate. The more 

 common type of cotyledon is oblate and subtruncate at the 

 base or has a shallow sinus as shown by Mirabilis dicho- 

 toma (fig. 601). The cotyledons are five-nerved at the base 

 and reticulate, sometimes emarginate with a tooth in the 

 notch. The lamina of the larger one measures 2-2 cm. long 

 and 4 cm. wide, while the smaller one is about the same 

 length, but only 3-6 cm. wide. The petioles are also unequal. 

 The cotyledons of M. longiflora are trinerved and reticulate, 

 with the midrib forking some distance below the apex, and 

 they are also variously emarginate. The average size of 

 the larger lamina is 2 - 38 cm. long and 3-25 cm. wide ; that 

 of the smaller one is 1-9 cm. long, and 2*76 cm. wide. 

 The petioles are glandular-pubescent and generally un- 

 equal in length. In general characters M. multiflora agrees 

 with its congeners. The cotyledons are glabrous and five- 

 nerved ; the larger lamina varies in different individuals from 

 2-4-2-8 cm. long, and 4-4-6 cm. wide; the smaller one is 

 2-0-2-4 cm. long, and 3-4-3-7 cm. wide. 



The seedlings of Oxybaphus agree with the above in general 

 form of the cotyledons, but the latter are notable for the 

 shortness of their petioles. Those of 0. viscosus are relatively 

 small, reniform, trinerved, densely pubescent and unequal 



