488 



ON SEEDLINGS 



Embryo straight, flat, very large, central, colourless ; cotyledons 

 broad, oblong, obtuse, falling a little short of the whole length of 

 the seed, alternately penninerved and reticulate, slightly cordate at 

 the base, adhering to the endosperm and separated from one 

 another ; radicle short, stout, oblong, obtuse, extending beyond the 

 cotyledons for about half its length ; plumule inconspicuous. 



Seedling (fig. 644). 

 Primary root a succulent 

 taproot, not very long, with 

 many thick, colourless, lateral 

 rootlets. 



Hypocotyl 10-15 cm. long, 

 8'5-5 mm. thick, succulent, 

 terete, glabrous, reddish. 



Cotyledons with a chan- 

 nelled, glabrous, glandular 

 petiole 3 cm. long, 2'5 mm. 

 broad, 1'5 mm. thick, and an 

 entire lamina, oblong in one 

 and ovate-oblong in the other, 

 rounded or subcordate at the 

 base, very obtuse at the apex, 

 about 8 cm. long, 4-5 cm. 

 wide, palmatinerved at the base, glabrous, thinly succulent, bright 

 green above, paler beneath. The disparity of the cotyledons is pro- 

 bably accidental in the specimen sketched. 



Stem very short at first ; 1st internode 5 mm. long, half as thick 

 as the hypocotyl, slightly compressed, glabrous, dark green. 



Leaves simple, cauline, alternate, with glandular stipules, petio- 

 late, palmately seven- to many-nerved and -lobed especially at the 

 base, with the lobes alternately nerved upwards, reticulated, serrate, 

 glabrous, deep green above, paler beneath. 



Nos. 1 and 2. About 6 cm. long at first by 3 cm. wide, palmati- 

 lobed at the base ; terminal lobe about 4 cm. long by nearly 2 cm. 

 wide, acuminate, subpeltate at first, but splitting at the base after 

 some time so as to render it truly palmati-lobed and -nerved, ob- 

 tusely serrate andmucronate, glabrous, fleshy but thin, bright green 

 above, paler beneath. 



Dalechampia capensis, Spr.fil. (fig. 645). 



Hypocotyl 2'7 cm. long, 1-1-5 mm. thick, terete, with a short, 

 spreading pubescence. 



FIG. 644. Ricinus communis. 

 One-fourth nat, size. 



