OF THE EMBRYOS IN THE SEEDS OF CONIFERiE. 571 



branes of a brown colour, presenting their acute apices 

 towards the surface, and at the base seeming to pass 

 gradually into the lighter-coloured pulpy substance of 

 which the mass of the amnios consists. 



Corresponding and nearly approximated to each of 

 these conical membranes, a filament, generally of great 

 length, and either entirely simple or giving off a few lateral 

 branches, was found. This filament or funiculus consisted 

 generally of four series of elongated transparent cells or 

 vessels, usually adhering together with firmness, but in some 

 cases readily separable without laceration ; and in one of 

 the species examined, Pinus Pinaster, the transverse septa 

 of the funiculus were either very obscure or altogether 

 wanting. 



The upper extremity of each funiculus was in all cases [371 

 manifestly thickened and of a depressed spheroidal form ; 

 and in each of the four cells or vessels of which it consisted 

 exhibited a small opake areola analogous to the nucleus of 

 the cell, so frequently observable in the tissue of Monoco- 

 tyledonous plants, and which also exists, though less com- 

 monly, in Dicoty ledones . 



A lacerated and extremely transparent membrane was 

 generally found surrounding and adhering to the thickened 

 origin or head of the funiculus. 



In the earliest state examined of Pinus Pinaster, the 

 funiculus was found equally transparent through its whole 

 length, and having no appearance of subdivision or any 

 other indication of embryo at its lower extremity. In a 

 somewhat more advanced state of the same plant, as well 

 as in the two other species observed, namely, Pinus sylvestris 

 and Strobus, the lower extremity of the funiculus was sub- 

 divided into short cells, sometimes disposed in a double 

 series, but more frequently with less regularity and in 

 greater numbers, the lowest being in all cases the most 

 minute and also the most opake, from the deposition of 

 granular matter, which is nearly or entirely wanting in the 

 upper part of the cord. This opake granular extremity of 

 the funiculus is evidently the rudiment of an embryo. When 

 the funiculus ramifies, each branch is generally terminated 



