THE SEED 17 
blue or a brown reaction? Crush another bit of it on a piece 
of white paper and see if it leaves a grease spot. What does 
this show that it contains? Test the embryo in the same way, 
and see whether it contains any oil. 
Nore. — It should be borne in mind that the castor-bean bears no rela- 
tion whatever to the true beans. It belongs to the spurge family, which 
is botanically very remote from that of the peas and beans. 
hy i a 
--B 
& 4 
iy =p 
—-h 
23 24 25 
Figs. 23-25, — Seed of a squash; 23, seed from the outside; 24, vertical section 
perpendicular to the broad side ; 25, section parallel to the broad side, showing inner 
side of a cotyledon; a, seed coat; c, cotyledons ; h, hypocotyl; p, plumule. 
14. Study of a squash or gourd seed. — How does the coat 
of a squash seed differ from that of the bean? At the small 
end, look for two dots, or pinholes, close A 
together. Refer to your drawing of the 
bean and see if you can make out, with 
the help of a lens, what they are. The 
bean is a curved seed, which is bent so as 
to bring the hilum close to the micropyle 
on one side. But by far the greater 
number of seeds are inverted, or turned 
over on their stalks, as you sometimes 
see huckleberry blossoms and bell flowers Fie, 26.— Diagram of 
on their stems, so that when the stalk 2" inverted 2 ee 
breaks away from its attachment, the rata pen ene 
scar and the micropyle come close to- [2°t, ‘ Mucumreatr 
gether at one end, as in the squash seed. chalaza; h, hilum; m, 
Make a drawing of the outside of a eee 
seed, labeling all the parts you have observed; then gently 
