1890,] Notes on Cyphia Volubilis, fVilld. 45 



the majority of the Campanuloideae and Lobelioideae. Medullary 

 rays and haid bast are absent. The laticiferous tubes, which are 

 articulated as in all Campanulaceae, accompany the soft bast usually in 

 3 or 4 groups. In many cases (though not in all) laticiferous tubes 

 are also found in the centre of the pith. This will appear somewhat 

 remarkable, however, among Campanuloideae there are also a number 

 of species in which different specimens possess a somewhat different 

 anatomical structure (}). It may be mentioned that the structure of the 

 stem does not exhibit any peculiarity produced by its twining habit. 



I found the main root always to be tetrarch. Its structure was 

 quite normal. Secondary thickening does not take place. The tuber 

 is composed almost entirely of parenchymatous tissue in, which the 

 vascular bundles pursue a rather irregular course. It is completely 

 surrounded by a typical cork-layer composed of about 6 — 10 layers of 

 cells. Separated from it by a few layers of parenchymatous cells there 

 is a group of laticiferous tubes, which form a complete circle in 

 transverse section. A small number of such tubes is irregularly dis- 

 tributed in the interior of the tuber. At the time when my investi- 

 gations were carried out, i.e., when the plant was in flower, the tubers 

 contained a fair amount of Inuline as reserve material. Starch was 

 absent. The discovery of Inuline in a member of the Cyphioideae is 

 of some interest, as the same substance has been proved to occur in the 

 Campanuloideae, Lobelioideae, Goodeniacae and Candolleaceae, 

 besides the well-known occurrence of Inuline in Compo sitae. 



The inflorescence is composed of about half a dozen flowers, which 

 have a tendency of placing themselves in a straight line. The 

 inflorescence thus becomes frequently unilateral and is more conspicu- 

 ous than it would be if the flowers were turned in all directions. Each 

 flower is preceded by two very minute bracteoles, which are always 

 sterile as in the majority of Lobelioideae. The bracts of the flowers 

 resemble the foliage leaves, but decrease in size from below upwards. 



The flowers are two lipped, the upper lip being composed of three 

 parts, the lower lip of two. In Lobelioideae (with the exception of 

 the genus Monopsis and a few other cases, which I have pointed out 

 in my paper quoted above) we find just the reverse ( 2 ). Here the lower 

 lip is composed of three parts and the upper lip of two. The odd 

 petal, in the Lobelioideae is therefore anterior, whereas in Cyphia 

 volubilis it is placed in a posterior position. In Campanuloideae ( 3 ) 



0). Natiirliche Pflanzenfamilien iv., 5. p. 41. 



( 2 ). " Natiirliche Pflanzenfamilien," iv., 5 p. 67, 69, 70. 



( 3 ). With very rare exceptions. Eichler (" Bliitendiagramme i., p 294) men* 

 tions that in Specularia the parts of the flower are sometimes found in the 

 same position as in Cyphia volubilis. 



