PLATAXACE^E 



505 



strength as growth proceeds. The slender hypocotj*! rises 

 about 1-1 cm. above the soil, and is surmounted by narrowly 

 spathulate, obtuse, one-nerved, sessile cotyledons tapering to 

 a very narrow base. They are 8*5 mm. long and about 

 2-5 mm. wide at the apex. The first leaf is small, glandular- 

 pubescent, and resembles a petiole. The second one is spathu- 

 late-cuneate, incipiently trifid or bluntly tridentate at the 

 apex, and alternately penninerved, with two of the stronger 

 nerves running into the teeth, thus foreshadowing lobing. 

 The third leaf is much larger, but otherwise similar. The 

 ultimate leaf is palmately five-nerved and -lobed ; but the 

 nerves for the lower pair of 

 lobes often arise from the 

 middle pair near the base. 



Platanns orientalis, L. (fig. 

 G52). 



Pistil superior ; ovary of one 

 perfect carpel, one-celled, one- 

 to two-ovuled ; ovule pendulous 

 from the top of the cell, orthotro- 

 pous ; radicle inferior. 



Fruit an acliene, one-celled 

 and one-seeded, thickened and 

 woody along one side, sur- 

 rounded at the base by numer- 

 ous, long, pale brownish, erect 

 hairs, topped by a large woody 

 process or callus which is sur- 

 mounted by the persistent re- 

 mains of the style. FIG _ G ^_ Pla{anus orientalis . A; longi . 



Seed linear-clavate, SUS- tudinal section of fruit, x 6 : w, woody 



pended with the thick end up- |^Sffi 3 fSfi^ 



permost, flattened on the side part, x 12. 



next the thickened portion of 



the pericarp ; testa prolonged at the apex into an acute colourless 



point, and at the base into a colourless, blunt point, otherwise 



brown, easily broken up longitudinally into fibrous shreds ; micropyle 



at the lower blunt end. 



Endosperm forming a thin layer surrounding the embryo on all 

 sides, whitish internally, brown externally. 



Embryo straight, in the centre of the endosperm, colourless, 



