PHANEROGAMIA : FLOWERS. 387 



bid, Limnanthes Douglasii, Lttzula, Malvacece loculis I-ovulatis, Mercu- 

 rialis, Phytolacca decandra, Sagittaria, Tropceolacece, Triglochin. The 

 said plants comprehend the cases named under a. and b. For the case 

 of c. speaks the entire course of development in the Cruciferce ; in the 

 Resedacece, however, both this and the most beautiful retrograde meta- 

 morphoses in all conceivable intermediate stages, which occur frequently 

 enough in gardens in Reseda alba. A great many cases of course remain 

 undecided, in which I can only assume the axial structure of the spermo- 

 phore : on these, future investigations of the development can alone 

 decide ; hitherto my time has not been sufficient to work up more 

 material. 



Here, again, the following varieties occur ; namely, the true central 

 spermophore, blended with true septa (in Solanacece, Acanthacece, &c.), 

 the spurious central spermophore formed out of the parietal spermo- 

 phore, which projects in as far as the axis of the cavity of the germen, 

 which thus becomes spuriously many-celled. The latter two cases are 

 frequent. 



In regard to the gemmula basilaris I will once more mention that the 

 unilateral development of the receptacle often makes the spermophore 

 appear like part of the wall of the cavity of the germen, which, in fact, 

 is only the bottom of it, and that, hence, seed-buds may also be spurie 

 laterales, which really are basilares ; this is especially the case in all 

 Grasses, Potamogetons, and perhaps in many others, of which we are at 

 present ignorant of the course of development. 



Obs. 3. Persons may think what they will of the nature of the inferior 

 and half-inferior germen s, but there are cases here beyond doubt, where 

 position and course of development demonstrate the seed-bud to be an 

 immediate prolongation of the axis. Here are included, above all, the 

 extensive family of Composite, which, comprehending a tenth of the 

 whole Phanerogamic vegetation, give no little weight to the idea of the 

 universal law of the formation of the spermophore out of the axis. I 

 will further name, from my own researches, iheJuglandacece, Elceagnacece, 

 Lonicerece, Rubiacece, and Peliosanthes Teta. In none of these can any 

 tolerably accurate observer doubt that the spermophore is an immediate 

 prolongation of the floral axis, and itself an axial organ. The same 

 result is obtained from the investigation of the development of the 

 Myrtacece. 



If, however, the development of an inferior germen is accurately 

 traced, not the smallest doubt remains that this itself is also merely an 

 axial organ ; and in the parietal formation of the spermophore it is 

 equally certain, where the carpels do not even apparently project into 

 the cavity of the germen, that the seed-buds are seated on an axial organ. 

 In order to comprehend the spurious central spermophore, it must be 

 called to mind that the inner surface of a cup-shaped axial organ corre- 

 sponds to its sides in the usual condition ; now if these exhibit projecting 

 ribs, on which the buds are seated, somewhat as in Echinocactus, in the 

 concave shape these ribs must project inwards, and the carpels above 

 may be blended with these projections of the axis running upwards, like 

 the so-called folium decurrens with those running downwards. On the 

 other hand, it must be recollected that these projections (which form the 

 spurious septa and bear the seed-buds) are perpendicular from the 

 margin of the cavity of the germen to its base : this direction, however, 

 corresponds to that from below upwards in the usual condition of the 



c c 2 



