COOK THE COCONUT PALM IN AMEKICA. 327 



case of the coconut the embryo lies inside the largest of the three 

 thin spots or "eyes" at the base of the shell, and the soft spongy 

 cotyledon grows out from this point to fill the whole interior cavity 

 of the nut and then continues to digest and absorb until all of the 

 surrounding food materials have been taken over and conveyed into 

 the growing parts of the young plant. 



Palm seeds with thick hard shells like the coconut are provided 

 with special channels or pores for the exit of the embryo, covered 

 only by a thin scale of the shell material or a specially formed lid or 

 plug easily pushed out of the way. When germination finally occurs 

 the base of the cotyledon grows out of the seed, carrying with it the 

 plumule or leaf bud of the young plant, which later emerges from 

 the cotyledon by a split on one side. 



With the relatives of the coconut, which have not thick husks, the 

 second phase of germination, the escape of the young plantlet by the 

 opening of the cotyledon, necessarily takes place outside the husk, 

 but with the coconut the whole process of germination may be com- 

 pleted inside the husk. Coconuts buried in the moist soil germinate 

 without any special assistance from the husk, and even without wait- 

 ing for the cotyledon to grow to full size by absorbing the food mate- 

 rials of the endosperm. It is said to be customary in some localities 

 to remove the husk before planting. But if the husk is allowed to 

 remain intact the coconut is able to germinate without even being 

 placed in the ground. And not the germination alone, but the sub- 

 sequent growth of the young plant may go on for months without any 

 external contacts, the leaves often attaining considerable size before 

 the roots have made any external growth beyond the fibers of the 

 husks. The young coconut seedling, with its ample provision of 

 food and moisture and its fibrous husk for the accommodation of its 

 roots, might be described as a self-potted plant. It is to a very large 

 extent independent of external conditions during the early stages of 

 growth, which are much more precarious for all other palms. The 

 preference of gardeners for coconut fiber as a potting material may 

 be accepted as a testimonial of the success of the palm in meeting 

 the needs of the seedlings. (PI. 59, figs. 1,2.) 



For palms that are natives of humid, densely forested regions such 

 a provision would be superfluous and disadvantageous, for with them 

 it is a question of increasing the number of seeds and seedlings and 

 of thus multiplying the chances that some of the seedlings will find 

 favorable situations, with light enough to permit them to grow. 

 Natural selection in the form of competition of other vegetation 

 would discriminate against the evolution of an excessively large seed 

 in a species tolerant of shade. But for a palm that lives in an open 

 country with long, dry seasons, the protection of the seed and the 

 51004°— vol 14, pt 2—10 5 



