1914] ELKINS—MATURATION IN SMILAX 33 
A multinucleolate condition is typical of the nuclei of these 
cells. The nucleoli are variable in number and size and often 
somewhat angular in outline; several small bodies appear attached 
to the nucleoli (figs. 2, 3), which resemble papillae and will be so 
designated during the following description. As late as diakinesis 
nucleoli have been observed with one or more of these papillae. 
In the material prepared with the triple stain the nucleoli of the 
heterotypic prophase show one or more glistening white spots; 
these were at first considered to be vacuoles, but there is also the 
- possibility that they represent papillae viewed on the upper surface 
of the nucleoli. The microspore mother cell in the early prophase 
is sometimes uninucleolate, though more often provided with two 
large nucleoli. However, at synapsis there is never more than one 
large nucleolus, which is no longer angular and is usually provided 
with a single papilla. 
In connection with the study of the microspore mother cells of 
the early prophase, observations were made on the somatic nuclei 
of the nucellus. The appearance of the chromatin bodies and the 
nucleoli in such a nucleus (fig. 27) agrees very closely with that 
given for the nuclei of the young spore mother cells. 
The author believes the uninucleolate condition (fig. 5) to be 
the result of union of the nucleolar elements. Fig. 1 shows two 
nucleoli connected by a short, deeply stained strand, while fig. 2 
shows two nucleoli in a later stage of fusion. The papillae described 
above are probably nucleolar fragments or very small nucleoli 
which are in the process of fusing with the larger nucleoli. Fusion 
of all the nucleolar matter apparently does not take place; as late 
as diakinesis small globular bodies are often found which are dis- 
tinct from both the nucleolus and the chromosomes. The papil- 
late condition of the nucleolus also persists until the nucleolus 
disappears at the metaphase. 
Gates (14) describes parallel phenomena in the sporogenous 
cells of Oenothera rubrinervis. Here the nucleus is provided wi 
one large nucleolus accompanied almost invariably by smaller 
nucleolar bodies. Fusion of these bodies takes place; the number 
present in later stages depends on the amount of fusion. This 
seems to vary. One large nucleolus is always present until the 
