226 OF THE PELLICULA 



to seeds, which come under the following denomi- 

 nations. 



Pellicula, the Pellicle, called by Gasrtner Epi- 

 dermis, closely adheres to the outside of some seeds, 

 so as to conceal the proper colour and surface of 

 their skin, and is either membranous, and often 

 downy, as in Convolvulus, or mucilaginous, not per- 

 ceptible till the seed is moistened, as in Salviaver- 

 benacci) Engl. Bot. t. 154. Perhaps the covering 

 of the seed in Chenopodium, called by Gaertner 

 Utriculus, is merely a Pdilcula. 



Arillus, the Tunic, is either a complete or partial 

 covering of a seed, fixed to its base only, and more 

 or less loosely or closely enveloping its other parts. 1 

 Of this nature is the pulpy orange-coloured coat in 

 EuonymuS) Engl. Bot. t. 362, the beautiful scarlet 

 cup in Afzelia, f. 203, and the double membranous 

 coat in Hippophae, t. 425, which last invests the 

 seed within the pulp of the berry. The outer of 

 these coats only is described by Gaertner, as a pe- 

 culiar membrane lining the cell of the berry ; his 

 " integument urn duplex" refers to the testa, which 

 I mention only to prevent misapprehension. The 

 Mace which envelops the Nutmeg is a partial Aril- 

 lus, beautifully drawn in Gaertner, .41. Narthe- 

 cium, Engl. Bot. t. 535, has a complete membra- 

 nous tunic, elongated beyond the seed at each end, 

 as in many of the Orchis tribe ; and such seeds, 



