1395.) Deviation in Development Due to the use of Unripe Seeds. 807 
ripe; that is, its fluids have been so elaborated in the process 
of its maturation, and its solids so vitalized in the assimilation 
of due aliment as to be now fully and profitably susceptible of 
the action of the combined stimuli of the soil and atmosphere. 
Hence I contend, notwithstanding the objection of M. DeCan- 
dolle, that the maturity of the seed is rightly and legitimately 
placed in the list of the conditions of germination.” Trevi- 
ranus™ held essentially the same views, and expressed himself 
quite as strongly in his work on vegetable physiology, about 
the same time. Even Cohn, in his clear and scholarly paper, 
did not quite set the matter straight. He came to the conclu- 
sion,” that although the proper ripening of the seed is depend- 
ent upon the parent plant, yet when prematurely separated it 
will still pass through the ripening stage before germinating ; 
there is thus an after-ripening for green seeds, which fits them 
for continued growth. Although he seemingly held that seeds 
cannot germinate until they in some way ripen, yet he asserted 
(and it is a most important deduction, correctly worded) that 
viability does not usually coincide with maturity, but precedes 
it.” 
Since the time of Cohn the terminology adopted has agreed 
well with the facts. The present usage is presented in Nobbe’s 
large and excellent treatise upon séeds. He says: “The 
continued life of the embryo is not dependent upon the com- 
pletion of the storing of reserve material in the seed ; the power 
of germination appears much earlier, even in a stage of devel- 
opment of the seed undoubtedly to be designated as ‘ unripe.’ 
13 « Zum keimen gehort, dass der Same reif sei; das heisst, das der Embryo in 
dem Grade entwickelt sei, dass er von der Mutterpflanze getrennt, unter Aneig- 
nung des Vorrathes niihrender Materie im Perisperm oder, in den Samenlappen 
fiir sich fortleben kann.” Treviranus, l. c., ii, p. 574. 
lt Quum maturatio seminis propria non afficiatur a planta, sumendum videtur, 
ut etiam processura sit, semine soluto a planta; vel, ut postmaturari possint sem- 
ina. Cohn, Le, p. 72. 
Lb y le 4 ae oo 4 e ae | Tat pa LE E N 1 
illa preecedit Cohn, |. c.p 73. 
16 Die Lebensfihigkeit des Embryo ist an die Vollendung der Reservestoff-Auf- 
speicherung in Samen nicht gebunden. Die Keimfihigkeit tritt weit früher, 
schonin einem unzweifelhaft als “unreif” zu bezeichnenden Entwicklungsstadium 
des Samen ein. Nobbe, Samenkunde, p. 339. 
