On the Vesicular Vessels of the Onion. 
BY 
A. B. RENDLE, B.A., 
Scholar of St. John's College , Cambridge , Assistant in Botany , 
British Museum. 
With Plate XII. 
H ANSTEIN 1 discovered these structures in various 
species of Onion, and grouped them with the rows of 
raphide-containing sacs found in many Monocotyledons as 
‘vesicular-vessels’ ( Schlauchgefdsse ). Excepting a brief de- 
scription in De Bary’s Anatomy 2 , mainly a resume of Han- 
stein’s results, there does not appear to be any other account 
of them, nor have they yet been anywhere adequately figured. 
The account that follows shows that these 6 vesicular-vessels ’ 
are not at all well named. They are not cell-fusions, and 
continuity between the contents of adjacent members can 
very rarely be seen ; hence the term ‘ vessel ’ is inapplicable, 
they are simple cells. I should like therefore, following a 
suggestion made by Dr. Vines, to replace the distinguishing 
name they have hitherto borne by the term ‘ laticiferous 
cells.’ 
Development and Distribution . Hanstein gives no account 
of their development beyond suggesting in a general way the 
difficulty of finding the primitive structures in the very young 
parts, and assuming by analogy with Tradescantia , in which 
he describes the development of the raphide-containing vessels, 
1 Monatsschr. Berlin. Acad. 1859, P* 7 ° 5 * 
2 De Bary, Comp. Anat. of Phanerog. and Ferns, Eng. edit. p. 147. 
[ Annals of Botany, Vol. III. No. X, May i88g. ] 
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