[121011۸ VIRGINIANA 51 
connecting the embryo-sac with the archesporial cavity ( figs. 4, 
5, 12). Near this point, as above pointed out, ends the chalazal 
branch of the vascular tissue of the strophiole. It must be further 
pointed out that the chalazal tissue cells are elongated between the 
archesporium and the vascular tissue, completing the path along 
which we may believe passes a supply of food materials from the 
parent plant to the developing embryo-sac. The persistence of 
the subsidiary archesporial cells with normal appearance until the 
endosperm is well developed sustains this view. 
The embryo-sac in form is cylindric and presents, so far as the 
egg apparatus and endosperm nucleus are concerned, no point of 
special note. The fusion of the polar nuclei takes place quite near 
to the egg. The synergidae have well developed beaks which 
have been described for many forms and which I have referred to 
in another part of this paper. 
THE ANTIPODAL CELLS 
The feature of particular note is, however, to be found in the 
antipodal cells, which possess the power to divide, and form a tis- 
sue of considerable extent. The number of cells has been counted 
in several instances, and varies from four to ten. Frequently the 
several component cells are not separated by a cell wall, in which 
cases two or more nuclei may be found ina common mass of cyto- 
plasm. The last antipodal is tapering in form, and overlaps the 
adjacent subsidary archesporial cells ( figs. 6, 72), so that there lies, 
between the endosperm and the chalazal end of the vascular tis- 
sue, a continuous strand of transporting cells. There can be no 
doubt of the activity of the antipodal cells in this regard because 
of the following facts: The antipodal cells exhibit a degree of 
active growth, they are at all times richly supplied with starch, a 
substance which is abundant in the embryo-sac during its whole 
time of development, and they do not disintegrate, but, on the con- 
trary, maintain their form and normal appearance for a long time 
after fertilization, while the endosperm is in its earlier most rapid 
growth. In appearance they are apparently similiar to the anti- 
podal tissue described by Chamberlain (Z c.) in Aster. The coin- 
cident persistence of the archesporial cells is also noteworthy in 
this connection. 
