Mr. J. Miers on Ephedra. 433 
where the tubillus (¢) passes through the foramen of the testa: 
the position of the chalaza is shown at c (near the base of the 
free portion of the style, and where it is confounded with the 
hilum). It will hence be seen that the integuments are atropous 
(not anatropous, as generally believed), while the embryo, from 
its very excentric growth, lies amphitropously in regard to 
them*. In figure 2 is seen the same inner integument as in the 
preceding figure, where it is marked 2, to which is added the outer 
integument, or testa, marked 0, the mouth being closed by the 
gland g, which also forms a stricture in the neck of the tubillus. 
The analogy of this development with that I have described in 
Ephedra is very manifest. 
I have not been able to find in the seeds of Ephedra any indi- 
cation of the long spiral suspensor which in Gnetwm is described 
as being coiled up in the summit of the albumen, and there 
attached to the embryo. The nature of this suspensor has not 
yet been precisely ascertained: it is figured and described by 
both Gaudichaud + and Griffiths}, the former from an analysis 
of Aublet’s Guiana plant, the latter from the examination of two 
Indian species: there is a considerable difference in the details 
of these analyses, which admit of conciliation. Its existence in 
the earliest stage is shown by Gaudichaud (/oc. cit. tab.1. fig. 14), 
where a number of distinct, loose, slender, inarticulate tubes are 
seen in the summit of the nucleus, which he conceived to be 
either “ very elongated cells” or “ embryo-bearing polien-tubes” 
(loc. cit. p. 54). The next state is represented in pl. 6. fig. 40, 
when it seems like a long spiral cord in the cavity of the albu- 
men, bearing a very young embryo. Afterwards (in figs, 41 & 
42) it appears like a broad cylinder, consisting of the former 
suspensor, now filled with and surrounded by cellular tissue ; 
and he conceived§ that it was formed by a combination of all 
the first-mentioned sterile embryoniferous threads. Finally (in 
fig. 43), we see the same apparent cylinder separating by the 
application of force into a spiral cord, formed of “ des sortes de 
vaisseaux fasciculés rameux et tissu cellulaire.” Griffiths says 
of it (loc. cit. p. 304), “ To the upper portion and to one side of 
the cavity (in the albumen) is attached the embryo by means of 
an enormously long, tortuous, and spirally but irregularly twisted 
cellular funiculus, the cells being very much elongated and 
_ * It would involve too long a digression to describe here the very ano- 
malous seminal structure of Trop@olum, which has been altogether mis- 
understood. 
+ Rech. Organ. p. 76, tab. 1. fig. 14; tab. 6. figs. 40-43, 
Linn. Trans. xxii. 304-308, of 56. figs. 30-37. 
§ “Il est a croire que tous ces cordons stériles (pl. 1. tig. 14) font par- 
ties de ce cordon suspenseur.”’ 
