—— oe. 
Noteworthy anatomical and physiological researches. 
Nourishment of the embryo and importance of the endo- 
sperm in viviparous mangrove plants. 
The remarkable phenomena attending the germination of 
‘viviparous plants in the Rhizophoree and other mangrove 
plants have been noticed by a number of investigators. In 
the present paper! Haberlandt makes a noteworthy contribu- 
tion to the knowledge of the subject. 
Treub? was the first to call attention to the peculiar behav- 
ior of the endosperm in the Verbenaceous Avicennia officina- 
“is which, with its included embryo, grows out of the micro- 
pyle into the cavity of the fruit while the latter is still attached 
to the tree. Later the placenta pushes out into the fruit in 
all directions, the endosperm serving as a haustorium to se- 
cure the necessary food for the embryo. 
_ Warming* observed a similar outgrowth of the endosperm 
a Rhizophora Mangle. He describes it as a large celled clear 
tissue apparently entirely wanting in food material and ex- 
tending above the ovule as a micropylar arillus, whose of- 
fice seemed to be to conduct nourishment from the mother 
plant to the embryo. However he brought no certain proof 
to support this view. Ih this plant, according to Warming, 
the entire surface of the upper part of the cotyledon is thickly 
Covered with glandular hairs, below which lie scattered secre- 
tory or haustorial cells which he calls true sessile glandular 
airs 
Goebel! described vivipary in certain mangrove plants and 
also touched upon the haustorial nature of their endosperm. 
He states that the embryo in the rhizophorous Brugusera 
symnorhiza takes part of its nourishment from the cotyledons 
_ that a large portion of the starch of the hypocotyl arises 
‘om its own assimilative activity, since a considerable amount 
of chlorophyll is found in its external tissues. Goebel also 
"G. Haservanpr, Ueber die Ernabrung der Keimlinge und die Bedeutung des 
podosperms i viviparen Maagicvadlaidia, Annales d. Jardin botanique 
7 -seempmind* 12: 1-114. 1894. p/. 10-12. Leide: E. J. Brill. 
@. Bun l'embryon, le sac embryonnaire et I'ovule. Ann. 
» Buitenzorg, 3: 79 ff. 
epaoische F ragmente, II. Engler’s Jahrb. 4: 517 ff. 1883. 
anzenbiologische Schilderungen, 1: 113 ff. 1889. 
