463 



hard and shining black. The embryo conforms to the seed 

 and is only surrounded by a thin film of endosperm except 

 around the radicle, where endosperm is necessary to fill the 

 space owing to the shortness of the auricles of the cotyledons. 

 In the early growing state of the fruit, the persistent base of 

 the perianth grows at a rate proportionate with that of the 

 ovary which completely fills it. The testa is of great thick- 

 ness ; the tegmen covers a thick layer of perisperm, then 

 follows a thicker layer of endosperm in the embryo-sac, and 

 only slightly shorter than the perisperm just before the fruit 

 attains its full size. The embryo at this stage is half as long 

 as the endosperm, with broadly oval, thin plano-convex coty- 

 ledons. The radicle is relatively long compared with the 

 cotyledons. The perisperm and most of the endosperm dis- 

 appears when the embryo reaches its full size. The neck of 

 the persistent perianth is lined with hairs internally. 



The baccate perianth of Ela?agnus longipes is broadly 

 oblong-oval and densely lined all over the internal surface 

 with interlacing, strong, cottony hairs. The inner layer of 

 the perianth is also hardened, bony, and strengthened with 

 numerous longitudinal woody ridges forming a complete 

 circle surrounding the true fruit which conforms to the cavity. 

 The seed is ellipsoid in conformity with the fruit, and has a 

 membranous testa. The cotyledons are lanceolate, obtuse, 

 deeply auricled at the base, so as to occupy the space around 

 the radicle, plano-convex, and completely fill the seed, endo- 

 sperm being altogether absent. 



Seedlings. The cotyledons of Hippophae rhamnoides 

 (fig. 635) are oblong, obtuse, entire in the early stages but 

 ultimately more or less distinctly and irregularly emarginate, 

 sessile, or very shortly petiolate, slightly auricled at the base, 

 fleshy, aerial, somewhat plano-convex and glabrous. The leaves 

 are opposite in the seedling stage, the first pair being lanceolate, 

 followed by three or more pairs which are elliptic and obtuse. 

 All are covered with shortly stalked, peltate scales ; on the 

 adult the leaves are alternate. 



The cotyledons of Elseagnus angustifolia rar. microcarpa 

 (fig. 634) are oblong, obtuse, deeply auricled at the base but 

 otherwise entire, thick and fleshy with indiscernible venation. 



