APPENDIX 



479 



Table illustrating the History of the Fruit of Barringtonia 

 SPECIOSA — continued. 



Girth in 

 millimetres 

 and inches. 



401 mm. ; 

 1 5 "8 inches 



406 mm. 

 16 inches 



356 mm. 

 14 inches 



356 mm. ; 

 14 inches 



Condition of the seed-cavity 

 and of the seed or seeds. 



The rapidly growing seed, 744 

 grains in weight, now nearly 

 fills the seed-cavity, and the 

 cells are suppressed 



The mature seed, weighing 1620 

 grains, entirely fills the seed- 

 cavity 



The seed, weighing 176c grains, 

 has probably increased its weight 

 whilst the husk has been drying 



The seed, weighing 648 grains, 

 still fills the cavity 



Explanation. — All the data, with the exception of those for I and K, are from 

 observations in Grenada on individual fruits. The results for the moist and air-dried 

 conditions (I and K) represent the average of a number of observations on several fruits. 

 There is, therefore, no continuous record here, but merely a description of fruits in 

 different stages. Notwithstanding discrepancies, which were to be, indeed, expected, the 

 general trend of the results is reliable. The apparent increase in weight of the seed 

 during the first part of the drying of the fruit needs further inquiry, but it is quite 

 consistent with what occurs in the Coco-nut and in the Acorn. The sudden rise in the 

 proportion of the pericarp in the air-dried fruit, is due to the fact that the seed does not 

 share in the early part of the drying process. The small diminution in the girth of the 

 fruit during the drying process was exemplified by fruits that had been allowed to dry 

 after being collected in the full-grown state. 



NOTE 12 (p. 226). 



On the time required by seeds to complete their drying in air., or, in other 

 words, to acquire a stable weight. 



This involves the wrhole period from the time that the soft full- 

 grown pre-resting seed first begins to shrink in the green or moist fruit, 

 until the time wrhen the shrinkage is complete, and a normal contracted 

 hard-coated resting seed is produced. 



In the case of impermeable seeds, reference may be made to the 

 results of observations made in Jamaica on some typical examples. 



