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88 



of the germination, figured in Fig. 135, the second leaf has 

 appeared, and contemporarily the primary root has attained 

 a considerable length, with a few ramifications. The base of 

 the cotyledon seems to have decreased in thickness, and will 

 gradually fade away, leaving a somewhat fibrous sheath 



r 



around the base of the young plant, as is shown in Fig. 136. 

 This plant (Fig. 136) was about one month old, and we can 

 see the continued growth of the primary root, that has acquired 



al lateral branches, but no secondary roots have been 



developed. The cotyledon has partly dropped, at least the 

 upper part, while the lower is still persistent, forming a narrow 

 sheath around the base of the young plant. No axis nor 

 internode is visible, and the plant will not develop a longer 

 stem, the leaves all being situated near the ground, forming 

 a dense rosette. The development of the secondary roots is 

 very late, and the primary root persists for about half a year. 

 Fig. 137 shows a young plant, the age of which is eight 

 months. We see in this figure four secondary roots (r-r), 

 of which two are relatively more strongly developed than the 

 other ones ; the latter are rather thin, but provided with sev- 

 eral lateral branches in contrast to the two others, the thicker 

 ones. There is only a scar (R) left from the primary root, 

 but the plant has not been changed in any other respect, 

 except by the addition of leaves to the ones figured in 

 Fig. 136. 



ARACE^. 



Peltandra nndulata. 



The fruit of this plant is a fleshy berry, of which the peri- 

 carp is very thin, notwithstanding that it is tough when fresh, 

 dark colored and almost black (Plate XVII, Fig. 138). The 

 enclosed seed (Plate XVII, Fig. 140, there being most fre- 

 quently only one) is globular, surrounded by a tenacious jelly 

 which, according to Baillon and Engler, is the transformed 

 exterior integument of the ovule. The plumule is green and 

 lies in a furrow formed by the large scutellum, the margins 

 of which tightly enclose, but do not quite cover the plumule. 

 When the fruits have matured in the fall, they drop into the 

 water, and will be found floating for a certain time, while the 



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 V 







A 



A. 



