ON SOME INTERESTING ALIENS 



vary enormously in size, almost always in the 

 same capsule. The pale-greenish bulblike seeds 

 with irregular corrugations may vary from the 

 size of a pea to that of an English walnut. When 

 placed in a graded sequence they present a curi- 

 ous contrast. Yet the plants grown from the small- 

 est seeds are likely to be quite as large and of the 

 same appearance and quality as those grown from 

 the mammoth ones. The seeds of the crinum thus 

 furnish a unique link between seeds, buds, and 

 bulbs, suggesting the properties of all these 

 combined. 



Another peculiarity of the seeds is that they 

 contain so much nutriment and moisture that they 

 may sprout and grow, making plants of consider- 

 able size, without access to any moisture except 

 that contained within the seed itself. I have 

 known them to sprout when laid on a shelf, or in 

 envelopes, away from the light and entirely dry; 

 also when sent to me by mail from Australia they 

 sometimes started as seeds and arrived here in 

 envelopes as small growing plants. 



The crinums have been under cultivation for a 

 long time, and interesting hybridizing experiments 

 were made with them a century ago by the Rev. 

 W. Herbert, Dean of Manchester, whose experi- 

 ments with the gladiolus and other flowers have 

 been elsewhere referred to. But there are many 



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