PHYTOLACCACE^E 431 



pherical on two sides of the seed with the greater bulk of the 

 endosperm occupying the other two sides. The cotyledons are 

 convolute longitudinally, but very unequal. The broader one 

 is outermost, deeply auricled at the base and trilobulate at the 

 apex. The smaller one is much the longest, auricled at the 

 base but otherwise entire, and convolute inside the larger one 

 in its lower half only. 



Seedlings. The cotyledons seem always to be broad. 

 Those of Phytolacca abyssinica (fig. 618) are lanceolate-ovate, 

 slightly unequal, cuneate at the base, rather fleshy, indistinctly 

 penninerved, 3-5 cm. long, and 1*5-2 cm. wide. The first two 

 leaves are ovate-elliptic. 



The cotyledons of Eivina Itevis (fig. 615) are rotund, sub- 

 cordate, trinerved, obtusely cuspidate, and reticulate. The 

 primary leaves are cordate. A slight difference occurs in the 

 cotyledons of E. canescens which are reniform, slightly un- 

 equal, rounded at the apex, trinerved and entire. The first 

 two leaves are ovate. 



The cotyledons of Petiveria octandra (fig. 617) are very 

 unequal. The shorter one is much the broader, triangular 

 or subcordate, obscurely trilobate at the apex, and otherwise 

 somewhat indented at the sides, but this latter characteristic 

 may not be constant ; it is penninerved, with the basal pair 

 of laterals strongly developed. It is about 2 cm. long and 

 1*75 cm. wide. The longer cotyledon is oblong, obtuse, 

 penninerved, 3 cm. long, and 1'25 cm. wide. 



Eivina Isevis, L. 



Ovary of one carpel, one-celled, one-ovuled ; ovule basal, erect, 

 amphitropous ; micropyle inferior or pointing to the base of the seed 

 close to the hilum. 



Fruit baccate, subglobose, laterally compressed, tipped by the 

 persistent style, glabrous, sca.rlet, one-seeded. 



Seed vertical, laterally compressed, deep brown or black, densely 

 pubescent ; hilum small, basal, slightly depressed, with the depres- 

 sion almost filled with a small, colourless, bilobed, funicular aril. 



Endosperm copious, white, farinaceous, lying inside the embryo, 

 or between that and the hilum. 



Embryo curved round the whole periphery of the seed except a 

 small part close to the hilum, fleshy, soft, colourless ; cotyledons 



