NYOTAGINE^E 



407 



Seed narrowly obovoid, narrowed to the base, where it is slightly 

 unequal, smooth, pale brown, marked from tbe base to near the 

 apex on each side with a darker brown line ; hilum basal in the 

 notch ; micropyle close to it, but 

 occupying the longer lobe of the 

 seed in which the radicle lies. 



Endosperm abundant, mealy or 

 farinaceous, white, lying in the 

 centre of the seed and surrounded, 

 except between the cotyledons and 

 radicle, by the embryo. 



Embryo large, much curved or 

 doubled upon itself, outside the 

 endosperm, colourless ; cotyledons 

 very unequal ; the outer one concave 

 or scoop-shaped, lying round the 

 outside of the endosperm which it grasps in its inner concave face, 

 equal in length to the seed ; the inner reduced to a small elevation 

 at the base of the petiole of the large one ; radicle cylindrical, lying 

 on the outside of the endosperm on the opposite side of it from the 

 cotyledon, slightly tapered to an obtuse tip, pointing to and close to 

 the micropyle, equalling the length of the seed and somewhat longer 

 than the large cotyledon. The smaller cotyledon, however, varies 

 a little in size. 



FIG. 002. A, Abronia arenaria. 

 Embryo : ic, rudimentary cotyle- 

 don, x 6. B, Abronia umbellata. 

 Embryo, x (5 : Ic, larger cotyle- 

 don ; ic, rudimentary cotyledon ; 

 r, radicle. 



Primary root tapering downwards, flexuose, giving off a few 

 lateral rootlets, and growing through the remains of the fruit and 

 anthocarp. 



Hypocotyl decumbent, thickened towards base of cotyledons, 

 glandular-pubescent, 1-2-2-2 cm. long. 



Cotyledons very unequal in size of lamina and length of petiole, 

 glandular-pubescent, fleshy ; lamina of larger one obovate or oval, 

 1*4 cm. long, 8*75 mm. wide ; petiole 3-4 cm. long ; lamina of 

 smaller one obovate, 5 mm. long, 3'75 mm. wide ; petiole 2-2-6 cm. 

 long. 



Stem herbaceous, decumbent or spreading on the ground, densely 

 glandular-pubescent, subsucculent, thickening slightly beneath the 

 nodes, pale green or suffused with red, or flesh-coloured ; 1st inter- 

 node 3-2 cm. long ; 2nd 9 mm. 



Leaves cauline, simple, entire, opposite, unequal, exstipulate, 

 petiolate, glandular-pubescent and deep green above, somewhat paler 

 beneath and densely glandular-pubescent, viscid, penninerved with 



