1908] GOW—STUDIES IN ARACEAE 37 
Empryo.—The first divisions of the fertilized egg were not found. 
The earliest stage observed is shown in figs. 6 and 8, showing a 
spherical proembryo without a suspensor. The proembryo is usually 
at the upper extremity of the sac, but its position is extremely variable. 
Fig. 9 represents a somewhat older embryo, a slight notch beginning 
to show on one side, which at later stages becomes more pronounced 
(fig. 10). At the same time the endosperm is gradually destroyed, 
and the embryo finally assumes the form shown in fig. 11, the endo- 
sperm having disappeared completely. 
POLYEMBRYONY.—The sections shown in figs. 6, 7, and & were 
cut from the same sac. Fig. 6 shows the embryo developed from 
the fertilized egg, and also a synergid; while in fig. 8 another embryo 
is shown. These two sections cannot be different sections of the 
same embryo, for there are several intervening sections which show 
endosperm only, one of which is represented in fig. 7. It should be 
noted also that the second embryo (fig. 8) is not lower down in the 
sac than the one shown in fig. 6; in fact, the two lie side by side. All 
of the sac lying above the embryo in fig. 8 represents a lateral upward 
extension of the sac not shown in fig. 6. This would suggest that 
the second embryo may have been derived from a synergid. 
2. DIEFFENBACHIA DARAQUINIANA 
In the material collected in the greenhouses of the New York 
Botanical Gardens, some was obtained from specimens labeled 
Dieffenbachia daraquiniana. This specific name is recognized neither 
by Scuorr nor ENDER, and the species is probably identical with 
the one listed by the latter as D. baraquini.: The genus is notable 
in that the spadix is adherent along one side to the broad spathe, in 
which it is more or less tightly inclosed, the flowers occurring on the 
Opposite side of the spadix. In the species under discussion the 
flowers were found scattered irregularly over the free surface of the 
Spadix, crowded in places, but usually standing far apart and show- 
Ing between them bits of the surface of the spadix. The male flowers 
ccupy the upper part of the spadix, the female flowers the lower, 
the latter consisting only of an ovary. No traces of floral envelopes 
* Enver, Index Aroidearum 43. Berlin. 1864. 
