1894. ] Anatomical and Physiological Researches. 329 
the hypocotyl. To the function of this organ we shall recur 
soon. 
The importance of the above-mentioned semi-lenticular 
cells has been entirely overlooked by previous writers. Ac- 
cording to Haberlandt they serve as starting points for the 
development of a many layered secondary endosperm which 
forms the haustoria already mentioned. This secondary 
endosperm sends between the loose parenchyma cells of the 
seed coat haustoria-like processes of one to many cells. These 
haustoria are frequently lobed and possess papillose ends. 
Their walls are of thick cellulose excepting those of the ter- 
minal cells which are thin. 
The author sketches the development of this peculiar 
Structure, which finally forms a flattish disk whose cells are 
easily distinguished from the surrounding parenchymatous 
tissue by their thickened walls and abundant content of pro- 
toplasm. The primary endosperm at this time has become 
reduced to a few cells. If now the sides of the cotyledons 
lying next to the testa are examined, their cells will be seen 
to be arranged radially, with the outer layer colorless and 
characterized by an abundance of plasma and large nuclei. 
In this stage of development the cotyledons act only as ab- 
Sorptive organs. 
Haberlandt removed the cotyledonary. bodies, which at 
this period are abcut as large as peas, carefully washed them 
and gave them a coating of wheat starch. Microscopic ex- 
amination after twenty-four hours showed that the grains of 
starch were strongly corroded, thereby confirming the pre- 
vious supposition of Schimper that the cotyledonary tissue se- 
cretes a diastatic ferment. The same corrosion was exhibited 
by the layer of secondary endosperm. Upon making cross 
sections through the integument and the endosperm the in- 
teresting fact was brought out that in many places solitary 
endosperm cells send in tube-like processes between the pali- 
Sade tissue of the cotyledons, often to a depth of two or three 
layers of cells. These evidently serve to form a point of 
union between the endosperm and the embryo. 
The author next considers the function of the so-called 
