468 ON SEEDLINGS 



under my notice are narrowly linear. Those of Osyris com- 

 pressa (fig. 636) are revolute at the edges and thus appear still 

 narrower. They are 2-2-25 cm. long and 2-2-5 mm. wide. 

 The leaves are opposite, decussate, very closely arranged and 

 closely resemble those of a species of Buxus both in size, shape, 

 texture and colour. The first two pairs are lanceolate-elliptic, 

 followed by at least seventeen other pairs which are obovate, 

 and generally cuspidate. The cotyledons of 0. abyssinica 

 are similar to those of the last and yellowish-green. The 

 first pair of leaves are lanceolate and acute. 



The seedlings of Santalum album are very similar to 

 those of the foregoing with respect to the cotyledons and 

 the mode of germination. The hypocotyl is elongated and 

 in germinating carries up the fruit on the cotyledons. In 

 the case of Santalum at least the cotyledons often have a 

 difficulty in getting clear of the fruit notwithstanding their 

 narrowness, and often become torn off in the process. Their 

 narrowness appears to be due to the difficulty of exit from 

 the small opening of the woody fruit ; for there is plenty 

 of space inside to allow of their attaining a much greater 

 width. 



Santalum ellipticmn, Gaud. 



Ovary inferior, one-celled, two- to three-ovuled ; ovules pendulous, 

 anatropous ; micropyle superior. 



Fruit a drupe, obovoid-elliptic, with four ridges at the base, and 

 smaller intermediate ones, and as many prominences near the apex 

 which is crowned with an annular rim, the persistent base of the 

 perianth, within which it ends with a conical point ; one-celled, 

 one-seeded, indehiscent ; exocarp comparatively thin ; endocarp 

 woody, pale-coloured. 



Seed conforming to the cavity of the ovary, and apparently 

 without a testa. 



Endosperm copious, fleshy, white, constituting the greater part 

 of the seed, wrinkled or furrowed longitudinally when dry. 



Embryo straight, thin or narrow, less than half the length of 

 the seed (probably imperfectly developed), yellowish ; cotyledons 

 ovate-oblong, obtuse, entire, sessile, several times shorter than tbe 

 radicle, and narrower than its thickest part ; radicle four to five 

 times as long as tbe cotyledons, stout at tbe origin of the cotyledons 



