876 ILLUSTRATIONS OF POLYCOTYI.EDONY 



In this species also the range of variation is wide; the dominant 

 number is 5, with 6 well represented; the number 7 is less com- 

 mon, but not so rare as 4. The Baron missed examples of both 

 4 and 7. A rather advanced seedling with 7 cotyledons is 

 shown in Plate xxxv., fig. 6; and another aspect of one with 6 

 cotyledons, in Plate xxxv., fig 3. 



P. hirsuta Pers. — Only 31 seedlings were obtained. 



Witb 5 cotyledons 6 



>> 6 .» 16 



,, ,, ,, (1 bipartite) 2 



„ 7 „ 5 



,, ,, „ (1 bipartite) 2 



The dominant number in this species is 6. The Baron's 

 numbers are 5-8. The maximum number of cotyledons observed 

 by the Baron was 8, in three species, of which P. hirsuta is one, 

 the other two being West Australian species. I have not seen a 

 seedling or embryo with this number. The nearest approach to 

 it was offered by two examples of this species with 7 cotyledons, 

 in each case one being deeply but not completely divided; so that, 

 at a casual glance, without careful examination, they might have 

 passed as specimens with 8. 



P. acerosa Sieb. — Seedlings were very scarce. I succeeded in 

 finding only nine, of which one had 4 cotyledons, seven had 5, 

 and one had 5 with I bipartite. Of five embryos, one had 4 

 cotyledoDS and four had 5. Five seems to be the dominant 

 number. 



P. mollis R.Br. — Seedlings of this species were far from 

 plentiful. Much searching yielded only eight, of which four 

 had 4 cotyledons and four had 5. A young seedling with 5 

 cotyledons is shown in fig. 4. 



P. chamcepitys A. Cunn. — This plant is common on the Blue 

 Mountains, and fruits freely. Whether the prostrate habit of 

 the plant is detrimental to the production of seedlings, I cannot 

 say; but a single seedling, with 7 cotyledons, was all I could find 

 after much searching. A few embryos examined gave 4-7. 



P. angulala R.Br. — Not a single seedling could be found. Of 

 eighteen embryos, two had 4 cotyledons, eleven had 5, four had 

 6, and one had 7. 



