472 ON SEEDLINGS 



conformity with the seed, trinerved and reticulate. The seed 

 is variegated with black blotches and markings on a deep brown 

 or even a pale ashy-grey ground. This is also the case in 

 Eicinus communis which has ovoid-oblong, dorso-ventrally 

 compressed seeds surmounted with a globular arillode. The 

 cotyledons are like those of the two previous species, but fall 

 a little short of the length and breadth of the seed. They are 

 five-nerved in the lower half and closely reticulated upwards. 

 The radicle projects a little beyond them. 



Seedlings. A considerable number of forms of cotyledons 

 are found hi the Order, many of them gradually merging 

 one into the other. Several occur in the genus Euphorbia 

 itself, where also the narrowest types are to be met with. 

 The cotyledons of E. Lathyris are long, leafy, linear and 

 show the midrib only. The leaves are opposite and four or 

 more of the primary pairs closely resemble the cotyledons ex- 

 cept in being larger, and longer. The cotyledons of E. exigua 

 (fig. 637) are linear or spathulate-linear and closely resemble 

 the first ten leaves except in being longer. The first pair 

 only are opposite. The cotyledons of E. Peplus are oblong- 

 linear and the smallest observed in the Order. The leaves are 

 alternate, except the first pair, and vary between obovate 

 and obovate-elliptic. The bracts are broadly ovate. The 

 cotyledons of Buxus sempervirens (fig. 639) are oblong-linear 

 or spathulate ; and the first two pairs of leaves are obovate 

 or elliptic. 



The cotyledons of Euphorbia Lagascse are large, oblong, 

 entire or slightly emarginate, and penninerved with ascend- 

 ing lateral veins. In form and venation they seem to stand 

 alone. 



Those of E. Myrsinites are broadly oval, entire and tri- 

 nerved. The first pair of leaves are similar, but smaller, with 

 more numerous ascending veins. A considerable number of 

 species have broadly oblong-oval cotyledons as typified by 

 Phyllanthus flaccidus (fig. 640). They also in this instance 

 are trinerved at the base, and have above several other, 

 long, incurved nerves. The leaves of the seedling are very 

 similar but larger and alternate. The third to the fifth on 

 the primary axis are reduced to small scales, bearing in their 



