and Fertilization in Oenothera. 
301 
Tetranucleate Embryo Sac. 
In 1900 Chodat and Bernard (8), applying recent cytological methods, 
first described a tetranucleate embryo sac. This phenomenon was, how¬ 
ever, observed by Hofmeister already in 1847 ( 26 ) and 1849 ( 27 ) in 
Godetia rnbicnnda, though he did not pay any special attention to the 
antipodal part. Geerts ( 21 ) and Modilewski ( 42 ) were the next to record, 
in 1909, the same cases as occurring in some plants belonging to the 
Onagraceae. Since then, several investigators have added some more 
examples to the list of such aberrant cases. 
While working on Oenothera , the present writer also examined embryo 
sacs of Gaura Lindheimeri , G. parviflora , Jussieua repens , Ludwigia 
prostrata , and Circaea quadrisidcata for comparison, and found that the tetra¬ 
nucleate condition is of usual occurrence in these plants (Text-fig. VII, 
1-12). Besides, the same has also been ascertained in Godetia sp. and 
in Epilobium angustifolium . Thus, the representatives of the principal 
genera of the Onagraceae examined, so far as the embryo sacs are concerned, 
are equally provided with four nuclei, as may be seen in the following table, 
in which all the recorded plants having tetranucleate embryo sac are 
given : 
Liliaceae: 
Clintonia borealis 
Orchidaceae : 
Gastrodia elata 
Cypripedium 'spectabile 
C. parvifiorum 
C. pubescens 
C. candiduni 
Gyrostachys cernua (not always, but in some ovules) 
G. gracilis „ „ „ 
Bletia Shepherdi ,, „ ,, 
Plumbaginaceae: 
Plumbagella micrantha 
Plumbago zeylanica 
P. capensis 
P. pulchella 
Onagraceae: 
Lopezia coronata 
Boisduvalia den sip ora 
Clarkia sp. 
C. elegans 
C. ptilchella 
Fuchsia sp. 
F. procumbens 
F. coccinea 
F. pumila 
F. fulgens 
F. ‘‘Marinka ’ 
F. ‘ ]± 7 nile de Wildeman\ etc. 
By Smith 
Kusano 
Pace 
>> 
» 
»> 
Sharp 
Dahlgren 
> 1 
n 
i> 
Tackholm 
Werner 
Tackholm 
yy 
Werner 
Tackholm 
Epilobium angustifolium 
E. hirsulum 
'Modilewski 
Werner 
Tackholm 
.Ishikawa 
Tackholm 
1910 
1 9 I 5 
1908 
>» 
1914 
>> 
1912 
19 T 5 
>> 
> ? 
I 9 H 
1915 
1 9 1 4 
1915 
yy 
x 9 r 4 
1 9 1 5 
yy 
yy 
yy 
1909 
1 9 1 4 
! 9 J 5 
