OF THE GRAMINE J£. 



S9i 



their use. On removing, in several instances, this 

 organ, with the first bulb attached to it (Plate 

 XIII. fig. i.) from the perisperm, during the first 

 stage of germination, and planting it in rich damp 

 mould, one plant only germinating, attained the 

 length of six inches, but in a sickly state, and then 

 generally died : some of these, however, survived, 

 and I am convinced, under more favourable cir- 

 cumstances, would have arrived at maturity ; but 

 these experiments plainly proved, that, by thus 

 abstracting its natural aliment, the Seminal Germ 

 is enfeebled, and consequently fewer plants evol- 

 ved. It is surprising that M. Mirbel should have 

 confounded the Cotyledon with the first leaf of 

 these plants, from which it differs totally in situa- 

 tion, structure, and consistence. " Le cotyledon 

 " est visiblement le premier feuille, engaignante 

 " aussi bien que celles qui paroitront ensuite 

 Now although, previous to germination, the border 

 of this organ is in many instances folded over the 

 first bulb, yet the second, shooting from the op- 

 posite side, (Plate XIII. fig. 2.), is altogether un- 

 connected with it. On the other hand, the ker- 

 nelly brittle substance of the cotyledon distin- 

 guishes it at once from the fibrous and more 

 perfectly organized structure of the leave's, and 

 sheaths of the evolved bulbs. 



THE SHEATHS OF THE SEMINAL BULBS. 



These sheaths invest the bulbs like the scabbard 

 of a sword. They are pierced, first by the radicles, 



Annates du Museum^ 7 annee, T. 13. p. 148. 



