12 Campbell’—Studies on the Araceae. 
at Kew an extensive series of ovules of A.commutatum , which 
it is hoped ‘Will show the missing stages. 
As the embryo-sac develops, the surrounding tissues of the 
ovule, especially the base and the funiculus, increase very much 
in thickness, so that the embryo-sac occupies only a relatively 
small portion of the whole ovule. This great development of 
the outer ovular tissues suggests somewhat the perisperm- 
formation in the Scitamineae and Piperaceae. 
Anthurium. 
A number of species of Anthurium , including the common 
native A. cor difolium, Kth., and a larger stemless species (A. 
Huegelii), as well as several others, were collected in Jamaica, 
but it was found extremely difficult to prepare the specimens 
satisfactorily, and in consequence very little of the material 
proved of any value, and the results obtained were very frag¬ 
mentary. In a few instances sections of the ovule, before 
fertilization, were obtained, and so far as could be determined, 
the ovule at this stage is of the usual type, with the egg- 
apparatus and other structures entirely normal. The ovule is 
much more slender than in Diejfenbachia or Aglaonema , and 
there are often two ovules in each division of the compound 
ovary, which is composed of two entirely coherent carpels. 
The flowers in Anthurium are all similar, and are densely 
crowded on the spadix, which they completely cover. As in 
other Araceae, the flowers are markedly proterogynous, so 
that self-pollination is impossible. In many species examined 
it was impossible to find any fruitful spadices, although the 
ovary often enlarges, apparently without being fertilized. At 
least these young fruits are frequently encountered with the 
ovules entirely abortive. 
In my recent collections of these plants, one species, A. 
violaceum , var. leucocarpum , was found, which fruits perfectly. 
I was informed by the gardener at Kew, that this species 
was much infested by a small ant, and I frequently saw these 
insects running about over the plant, and probably serving to 
