APPENDIX 



545 



galericulata, Sparganium ramosum &c ' ScuteUan « 



In nearly all the plants that failed to germinate in sea-water the capacity 

 of readily germinating in fresh water was displayed. The res im 

 power of immersion m sea-water was illustrated over 'and over ^^ 8 

 ^eriments. During the course of an experi^e^reTov^o" Z 

 ea-water vesse and placed directly in a vessel of fresh water ' , 



the other germinated in a few days, whilst those left in the elw 1 

 germinated, though often kept there for months after. I \ Notice 

 able that a previous sea-water immersion favoured early ■ n naton m" 

 fresh water. It may be added that most of the experin , " o 



ISsLTe SeedVeSSdS ' th ° Ugh Serminati °" a,S ° — ^ S £ 



th / t 1 ^ SaS k Certained j n the exceptional case of Ranunculus sceleratus 

 hat although germination took place in sea-water, it was only after a pro 

 longed soaking of months had prepared the way. Of a number of £ 

 seed-like fruits placed in fresh water and in sea-water in April and I 

 under the same conditions, those in fresh water germinated fredy 

 week or two, whilst those in sea-water did not begin to germinate urn 

 the following October. Whilst the floating seedlings pX7 • 

 mination in fresh water grew vigorously and developed roots, those resulting 

 from germination in sea-water and left in the vessel only attained a length 

 of four millimetres in two months, developed no roots, and showed only 

 the first leaf. The sea-water seedlings were pale green, and in their stout 

 fleshy appearance contrasted greatly with the slender fresh-water seedlings 

 With regard to the germination in sea-water of the plants of the saH 

 marsh and of the mud-flats of estuaries, the following observations may be 

 made. With Aster tnpolium the seeds germinate readily in sea-water even 

 when its density is raised by evaporation to ro 4 o; and I think that by , 

 carefully graduated series of experiments they could be induced to germinate 

 in brine The seeds of Salicornia herbacea germinate in sea-water more 

 readily than in fresh water; and the sea-water seedling is much the m 

 vigorous and healthy of the two. I kept the floating seedlings in sea-water 

 for about ten weeks from the date of germination, when they had developed 

 the second joint and were throwing out rootlets. After that, unless pla- 

 in salt-mud, they became sickly and died. The floating seedling can 

 evidently disperse the species. I found with Spergularia marina; the 

 maritime form of S. rubra, that seeds of the plants grown, on a sandy 

 beach did not germinate in sea-water, only those from plants growing on 

 muddy coast-flats doing so. But the sea-water seedlings, unlike those f 

 Sahcornia herbacea, but like those of Ranunculus sceleratus when Kit in 

 sea-water did not thrive. The seeds of Triglochin mantmmm. as well as 

 those of T. palustre, behave very similarly in sea-water, germinating 

 readily, the liberated seedlings thriving afloat and producing the plumule 

 VOL. II M M 



