Prof. G. Gulliver on Kttphides and Sphcer aphides. 4i4i7 

 \ 



And we have seen how well the same- remarks are applicable to 

 such raphis-bearing- orders as Rubiacese and Onagracese. 



Haloragacece. — In the stem of Myriophyllum many sphsera- 

 phides occur. They are about rwo^h of an inch in diameter, 

 remarkably distinct, globular, and with sharp angular asperities 

 on the surface, formed by the individual ciystals. The sphse- 

 raphides are most abundant on the surface of the medullary 

 rays, as admirably figured, about a quarter of a century ago,%5 

 Unger. The sphseraphides are scanty or obscure in the leaves,"" 

 but sometimes plainly seen within delicate cells in the tissue of 

 the stem. 



Ficoidea. — Six species were examined, including Mesemhry- 

 anthemum crystallinum and M. rubrocinctum, and all found to 

 abound in raphides. 



Crassulacea. — Several of these were compared with the fore- 

 going, but found to be regularly destitute of raphides. There 

 were examined Sempervivum tectorum, Cotyledon umbilicus, 

 Echeveria secunda, and six British species of Sedum. 



Vitacece. — This order affords good examples of raphides and 

 sphseraphides in the same plant. Raphides are plentiful in the 

 leaves of Ampelopsis hederacea and Vitis vinifera. The pulp 

 of the berry and the fruit-stalks of Ampelopsis abound both in 

 raphides and sphseraphides. The raphides often appear naked, 

 and sometimes in a cell like that of the Fuchsia-berry, depicted 

 in the last Number of the 'Annals.^ The sphseraphides occur 

 in the testa, and in the fruit-stalk present a distinct sphsera- 

 phid tissue — each of the sphseraphides, about , ^\ ^ th of an inch 

 in diameter, forming the nucleus of a delicate cell, these cells 

 being arranged in lines along the outside of the vessels. In the 

 grape-berry the raphides are less abundant than in the leaves, 

 but it contains many sphseraphides as well, which occur also, 

 together with the raphides, in the leaves. 



Urticacece. — I have not found raphides in this order ; but it 

 abounds in sphseraphides, fine examples of which, about 3-4-o-nd 

 of an inch in diameter, may be seen, in the form of pale pellucid 

 dots, in the young leaves of Ur-tica dioica. They are also very 

 plain in Parietaria. Meyen discovered such objects, with their 

 pedicel and cell, in Ficus; and their presence in many other 

 plants of the order was remarked by Payen. Weddell called 

 them cystoliths, and observed that they afford a valuable dia- 

 gnostic character. 



Edenbridge, Oct. 24, 1863. 



[To be coutinued.] 



