58 



This study was made from two species of Loranthaceae — 

 Dendropemon caribaens, gathered by Prof. F. E. Lloyd from Hme 

 trees in Dominica, and Dendropemen parvifolius collected by the 

 writer from the bitter-broom, Baccharis, at Cinchona, in the Blue 

 Mountains of Jamaica, 



The flowers of Dendropemon are perfect, regular, and sym- 

 metrical. The buds form in clusters of three in the axils of the 

 leaves, and are protected by bracts. The corolla consists of six 

 petals, which, in D. parvifolius, are of a reddish color on the out- 

 side, and a delicate pink within. There are six stamens borne 

 upon an inferior ovary, the three fertile stamens alternating with 

 three sterile stamens. The flower has one style and one stigma. 

 At the top of the ovary is the cup-shaped calyculus. 



At the time that the corolla and stamens appear as rounded 

 knobs, two carpellary leaves meet over a central placenta, forming 

 a cavity. The carpellary and placental tissues gradually unite,, 

 filling the cavity. Growth in the length of the pistil begins to 

 be rapid, and the stamens develop. During this time cell division 

 is going on in the region of the nucellus. There is, however, 

 nothing to mark the development of an ovule as a distinct organ, 

 nor is there any indication of integument. In the center of the 

 ovary the cells increase in number and size and contain large 

 nuclei. They elongate parallel to the main axis, become irregu- 

 lar, and constitute the archesporial tissue. Their growth is 

 accompanied by periclinal division in the adjacent cells. Several 

 large archesporial cells form megaspores ; the neighboring cells 

 become disorganized and gradually disintegrate. Apparently" 

 only one of the megaspores becomes an embryo-sac. 



The embryo-sac was not made out in these species, but a long slit 

 was observed reaching from the center of the ovary into the tissues 

 of the style, which it seemed, had been occupied by the embryo- 

 sac. Of this Hofmeister says {Neiie Beitrage ziir Kenntniss der 

 Embryobildung der Phanerogamen, 539, 1859). "The growth 

 in length of the embryo-sac is not ended with its formation. The 

 sac makes its way through entangled cells of the closed style to 

 a quarter of its length upwards." 



Young stages of the proembryo were observed composed of 



