( 406 ) 
Galystegia sepium R.Br. (Convolvulus sepium L.) 
Nils Svedelius made important observations on the secretion of 
water on the inner surface of the sepals of tropical Convolvulaceae, 
particularly Stietocardia tiliae/olia (Choky) Hallier and Operculina 
Turpetkum (L.) Peter. Similarly the inner surface of the sepals 
of our indigenous Galystegia sepium is always moist and sticky, 
both in the bud and during the flowering stage. It may readily be 
observed that the slimy liquid is secreted by cushion-shaped or peltate 
glands, which are destributed over the inside of the calyx in relatively 
large numbers. These glands are here only partially arranged in 
groups of 1 5; most of them are distributed more or less uniformly 
over the inner surface. They do not occur on the outer surface of 
the sepal, but they are found in fairly large numbers on the outside 
of the bracts, and to a less extent on the inside of the bracts, on 
the petioles and on the leaves. 
Under ordinary conditions there is rarely found so much liquid 
in the flower-buds, that it can be pressed out in drops between the- 
fingers; nevertheless I have been able to observe this a few times. 
I do not know whether mucilage or water is also secreted after 
fertilisation, during the period of L the ripening of the fruit, as in 
Stietocardia tiliaefolia and Operculina Turpetkum. Calystegia sepium 
gives the impression of an impure, hybrid plant, its power of sexual 
reproduction is evidently much weakened and fruit formation by self¬ 
fertilisation rarely takes place. 
If a branch of Calystegia sepium is placed with the cut surface 
under water in a moist bell-ja,r the glands on the surface of the 
bracts, on the petiole and on the leaves soon begin to secrete water 
and after a few hours the upper and lower surfaces of the leaves 
are covered with numerous droplets of water, which soon increase 
in size. By the coalescing of these drops both sides of the young 
leaves are soon covered with a layer of water and in the terminal 
bud in which the leaves cover one another wholly or in part, they 
are as it were in a water-bath, together with the enclosed axillary 
flower-buds, which themselves also secrete water on the inside and 
outside of the leaves. 
The glands which secrete the water, secrete mucilage in the bud, 
when they are still very young; in this respect, therefore, they 
agree^ with the glands of the Inner surface of the calyx. They are 
t e “Trichomzotten” of Hahstejn, which afterwards become water- 
glands. 
