46 



NATURAL HISTORY OF I'LANTS. 



in many Anemones, and because the species of Adonin have also the 

 singular character, that of their ovules, at first five in number, the 

 inferior one alone is corajjletely developed and usually becomes pen- 

 dulous,' with the raphe dorsal and the micropyle turned upwards 

 and inwards. The I'ruits of the Adonids are more fleshy than those 

 of the Anemones before tliey are perfectly matured ; indeed, at one 

 stage they form true drupes.* The total number of pieces in the 

 perianth varies as in the Anemones. They are annual herbs, like, 

 for examj)lo, A. antnmnalis L., vulgarly knoAvn as " Pheasant's Eye" 

 (Fr. GuuNc-dc-aanfj, fig. 83), or perennials, whose subterranean part 

 grows in the same way as in the Anemones. This is especially the 



Adonis aulumnalis. 

 Fig. 83. 

 Flower. 



Adonis vernalis. 

 Fig. 8t. 

 Flower. 



case with A. venialis'L. (fig. 84), and in the closely allied species which 



' We have shown {Adansonia, ii. 209) that 

 in the section Consiligo the ovules are some- 

 times j)eiidul()us with the ovule upwards 

 and inwHrds, and sometimes ascending with the 

 micropyle downwards and inwards ; but all this 

 amounts to the same, as it only depends on the 

 great relative increase of the back of the caqicl 

 in its lower or upinr jmrt. As to the existence 

 of five ovules in the first stage of the carpels, it 

 is easy to show in the young flowers of A. 

 aulumnalis and rrsliralis L., and in the riiie 

 Btate we find tlic four superior ovules as snudl, 

 cellular projections (^Adansonia, i. IJHf}). 



* The fruits of A. vernal in are arranged on 

 the accrescent receptacle in a spiral order, of 

 which nuiy he clearly seen the tliree secondary 

 spinils in one direction, and live in the other. 

 The fruits dry uji rajddly on falling off the axis. 



Bat if we examine them hefore their fall, we see 

 that each is a true drupe, with the style {lersisting 

 as a little recurved horn. The mesot-.irp is fleshy ; 

 the endocarp represents a dark, fovet)late, tes- 

 taceous, brittle shell. The seed is usually as- 

 cending, even when it succeeds a descending 

 ovule; this is owing to the unet|ual growth of 

 the different parts of the fruit as it rij)ens. The 

 hilum is turned dowjiwanls and inwards ; but 

 not (piite inferior, as the seed is now only hemi- 

 troj)ous, and the nncrojjvle is much lower and 

 more exterior. The sivd has two very distinct 

 coats; the outer of loosely packed cells the other 

 of more compacted elements. In A. irstinilit, 

 too, the seed is covered with a fovcolate, tliick, 

 very iiard shell, and by a mesocarp which is 

 at first (leshy and greenish. In both species the 

 ovule has two coats. 



