366 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [MAY 
Fusion of the polar nuclei takes place immediately, and this 
seems to act as a stimulus for the rapid enlargement of the sac — 
(fig. 6, pp.). The fusion nucleus also enlarges very rapidly and 
staining shows it to be rich in chromatin. It may lie near the 
oosphere, or in the center of the sac, or close to the antipodals 
( figs. 7, 8,117). Itis always surrounded by abundant cytoplasm, 
which is connected by strands to the mass about the egg and the 
antipodals, and often contains numerous nucleoli. It remains 
very large and active while the sac is enlarging to four or five — 
times the size it had when the polar nuclei fused ( fig. 17). 
The synergids present the usual appearance. They are 
vacuolated at the lower end, with the nuclei above the vacuoles, eZ 
the upper end presenting a striated appearance ( fig. 17 syn). SS 
The oosphere is not much longer and very often shorter than 
the synergids (o in figs. 6, 7, 8, rr), and is never very rich in 
stainable material, the nucleus taking only slightly the cai 
_ taken by the definitive nucleus very heavily. There is abundant = 
_ cytoplasm surrounding the egg in all cases, with strands radia- : 
a ting to the mass about the definitive nucleus, as above mentioned. 
_ Although the egg is usually shorter than the synergids * ; 
time of fusion of the polar nuclei (jigs. 6,7, o), after this fasi0er 
_ while the sac is greatly enlarging in all directions ae ) esp 
cially in length, the egg begins to reach down into 
elow the synergids, becoming highly vacuolated an se 
to reach its —_ 
very feebly (figs. 3, 7, 10, a, 17, v), appearing 
development just at the time the free endospe 
- parietally placed. oo 
: One ae most notable features of the sacis the — 
large size of the antipodal cells, which often reach almost adi i 
center of the sac, their nuclei multiplying by fr ee 
(figs. 7, 8, rr). Lee 
As before mentioned, the definitive nucleus is remaria?Y 
_ large, resting near the egg, or near the antipodals, coal 2 
quently centrally placed in the sac. Free nuclear we egg 
_ place very rapidly, and in no instance did division * fe This 
: take place before division of the endosperm had — oe 
