17- 



SCIEXCE-GOSSIP. 



blade of a dicotyledonous seedling possessed the 

 veins of two ordinary cotyledons joined in their 

 lower halves. 



Perhaps, the most curious irregularity was to be 

 found in the rnonocotyledonous forms of the seed- 

 lings of Myriophyllum spicatum, Samolus valerandi, 

 and Limnanthemum nymphceoidcs. With M. spkatum 

 the cotyledons in these cases were more or less 

 completely joined into one, forming a tube open at 

 the side, the plumule lying in the hollow. From 

 such seedlings healthy typical plants were grown. 

 The tubular form is probably due to the linear 

 shape of the normal cotyledons. With Limnan- 

 themum and Samolus the normal cotyledons are 



broader, a difference that goes to explain the 

 contrast in their rnonocotyledonous seedlings with 

 regard to those of Myriophyllum. 



I followed the history of the plant in the case of 

 tricotyledonous seedlings of Scrophularia aquatka 

 and Galium palustre. In the instance of S. aquatka, 

 the first leaves were as a rule a whorl of three and 

 not a pair as in the typical plant. Then appeared 

 usually another whorl of three, and after this pairs 

 were regularly produced. In the case of G. palustre, 

 it was not until after the sixth whorl that the plant 

 permanently assumed the usual type of four leaves 

 in a whorl. The first six whorls were thus com- 

 posed : five, six, four, five, five, four. 



Fig. a. Myriophyllum spicatum (normal dicotyl.). 



b. „ (monocotyl.). 



c. „ „ (monocotyL). 



d. , (b in a more advanced stage). 



e. Limnanthemum nymplueoides (monocotyl.). 



f. Samolus valerandi (monocotyL). 



g. „ „ (monocotyl.). 

 h. Lysimachia vulgaris (dicotyl., with one cotyl. cleft). 



i. Alnns glutinosa (tricotyl., with first pair of leaves). 



Plant. 

 Ranunculus repens 

 Caltha palustris 



Nature of Abnormality. 

 Tricolyl. .... 

 Tricotyl., 6 p. c. ; dicotyl., vrith i cotyl 



two pairs of cotyls., i p. c. 

 Tricotyl. .... 

 Monocotyl. .... 

 Tricotyl. .... 

 Tricotyl. .... 

 Tricotyl. ; and dicotyl., with i cotyl. cleft 

 Tricotyl., 2 p. c. ; monocotyl., 4 p. c. 

 Monccotyl., 15 p. c. ; tricot}!., 05 p. c. 

 Tricotyl. .... 

 Tricotyl. .... 

 Tricotyl. .... 



6. Fairfield West, Kingston-cn-Thames ; July, 1S95. 



Per Cent. 



Lythrum salicaria 

 Myriophyllum spkaium 

 Hydrocotyle vulgaris . 

 Galium palustre 

 Lysimachia vulgaris . 

 Samolus valerandi . 

 Limnanthemum nymphaoides 

 Scrophularia aquatua 

 Salicornia herbacea . 

 Alnus glutinosa 



cleft, 



2 p. c. 



Not noted 



Not noted 

 6 



