172 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



the female organ are appieciable, we shall have a modified fruit, which may 

 resemble the fruit of the parent plant, or, which is more probable, may develop 

 a form intermediate between the two parents. 



Since the great discovery of Professor Guignard on double fertilization, it 

 may be said that each seed is derived from two eggs. The first, the most 

 important, gives birth to the embryon, and the second, less important certainly, 

 but still important also for the development of the first, gives birth to reserve 

 tissue. At maturity, this reserve tissue or albumen does not exist in every 

 seed ; there are albuminous seeds and exalbuminous seeds. These last have 

 at one time been albuminous, but the embryon during its development has 

 gorged itself on this substance until at complete maturity no more remains. 



As these two eggs have been each formed by the fusion of a male and a female 

 cell, it follows that if the male and female plants are alike there will be no difference 

 in the seed. If, on the other hand, the parent plants are unlike each other, whether 

 they belong to two varieties, two species, or even to different genera, it follows 

 that the seeds will be different, and all the more different if they are albuminous, 

 since they will contain the remains of the two eggs. Thus Peas are exalbuminous. 

 Some varieties have sweet cotyledons. The two forms crossed give seeds of 

 which some have sweet cotyledons and some floury cotyledons. 



Maize has albuminous seeds. In some varieties the albumen is floury, and 

 in others the albumen is sweet and the seeds are wrinkled. The two forms 

 crossed give ears with sweet wrinkled seeds mixed with floury unwrinkled seeds. 

 The most celebrated case of Xenia, according to Tillet de Clermont-Tonnerre, 

 is that of the apple-tree at St. Valery-en-Caux. This apple, sterile through the 

 abortive stamens, fruits when it is fertilized by strange pollen. The fruits recall, 

 in form, shape, colour, and taste, those of the mother plant. It is even said that 

 the ladies of the district come and each make their own apple by bringing from 

 their own gardens the pollen of the apple they desire. Other cases of Xenia 

 are equally remarkable. According to several authors, fruit-trees lend them- 

 selves better than other plants to the phenomena of Xenia, and it is possible 

 that well thought-out fertilization might give curious and interesting examples. 



M. L. H. 



Zingiber Mioga (Bot. Mag. tab. 8570). — Japan. Nat. Ord. Scitamineae, tribe 

 Zingibereae. Herb. Leaves linear-lanceolate, 10 inches long. Calyx 1 inch long. 

 Corolla &c. pale yellow. — G. H. 



