304 
Lee . — Observations on the 
When the present research was first begun, it was hoped to include 
a description of the anatomy of seedlings selected, as far as possible, from 
all the Natural Orders in Engler’s Campanulatae. But while a considerable 
amount of work has been accomplished in this direction, little of interest 
can be reported outside the Compositae. The present paper, therefore, is 
restricted to the latter group. 
Historical. 
Considering the large size of the Natural Order Compositae, it is a sur- 
prising fact that little detailed research has been done on the seedling 
anatomy of these plants. This is perhaps accounted for by the view that 
little of phylogenetic importance could be expected in a group which is 
generally believed to include the most highly evolved plants known. It is 
hoped, however, that the results here recorded throw some light on the con- 
nexion which undoubtedly exists between the different ‘ types ’ of seedling 
structure, if not on the phylogenetic question as a whole. 
What are, perhaps, the earliest observations on this subject worth 
noting were published in 1881 . In that year Gerard (5) gave a description 
of the seedling anatomy of two species belonging to the Compositae ; this 
description has been confirmed in the present research. Three years later 
Vuillemin (12) published a long paper on the anatomy of the Compositae. 
His researches, however, were actuated by a desire to evolve a system of 
classification, based on the anatomy, which would be of use in the identifica- 
tion of the vegetative parts of medicinal plants. It is not surprising, there- 
fore, to find that, although many seedlings were carefully studied from 
different points of view, there is only a short general account of the 
‘transition’ phenomena, which, as the author remarks, agrees with the more 
detailed description given by Gerard and cited above. 
For the rest, the very general references by Dangeard (3) and by 
Thomas (12) to the seedling structure in this group, and the more complete 
descriptions by Chauveaud (2), should be noted. 
Methods. 
The seedlings for this research were grown at Birkbeck College, London, 
from seeds presented by Mr. W. Hales, A.L.S., Physic Garden, Chelsea, to 
whom I am deeply indebted for generous assistance. The seeds of upwards 
of seventy species were selected, of as many shapes and sizes as possible, 
and of these about fifty germinated. The seedlings were cut and the 
sections stained according to the methods described in the first part of 
this report (7). 
I would like to take this opportunity of tendering to Miss F. A. 
Randell, B.Sc., my sincere thanks for the very valuable assistance she has 
rendered in preparing, cutting, and staining many of the seedlings. 
