286 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [october 



water plants {Alisma, Sagittaria, Eickhornia, etc.) germinate 

 readily in distilled water frequently changed, provided the seed 

 coats are broken or removed with care not to injure the embryo. 

 From this it would seem that the embryos are not dormant if the 

 limiting effects of the coats are not present. Ewart (ii) confirms 

 these results by finding that the seeds of Sagittaria germinate 

 readily after abrasion with sandpaper. He also points out the fact 

 that the effect of the acid or the base is not counteracted by the 



amount 

 sienific 



com 



pectic substances. 



dormancy 



(9 



apple, peach, etc. In these forms the naked embryos 



erminativ 



V 



if they are not first after-ripened. Ostenfeld (22) finds, confirma- 

 tory of the much earlier work of Guppy (15), that the passage 

 through the alimentary canals of birds greatly improves the 



germination 



He 



necessary to justify the conclusion of either Fischer or Crocker. 

 This statement seems to be fully justifiable, for it is possible that 

 the reagents used by Fischer have their total effect through their 

 joint action on coats and embryos, although the latter when coat- 

 free are certainly not dormant. It is for the purpose of throwing 

 more light on this question that the following experiments are 

 reported. Up to date the work has been entirely limited to a study 

 of the seeds of Alisma Plantago. Of forcing agents, hydrochloric 

 acid mainly has been studied. 



II. Material 



The ripened fruit of Alisma Plantago as it is shed from the plant 



from which the Dericaro can be rem 



rubbing of the fruit between the fingers. 



seems 



germination 



detectin 



mass 



