287 
Evolution of Monocotyledons. 
His Kryptocotyledons consist of Monocotyledons, a sub-group 
containing the Gramineae only; and Syncotyledons, which include 
the Lilieae, Aroideae, Naiadeae, Palmae, Scitamineae, Nymphasaceae 
and Cycads. The interest of Agardh’s classification consists in the 
fact that he considers the dicotyledonous embryo as typical, and the 
syncotyledonous embryo as derived from it by the fusion of the two 
original cotyledons. Agardh further regards the grasses as the only 
true Monocotyledons, the embryo in this case being derived from a 
dicotyledonous type by the suppression of one seed-leaf. 
Suggestive as this idea of the monocotyledonous embryo is, in 
the present connection, it is perhaps only fair to note that Agardh’s 
classification was probably founded on a misconception of the nature 
of the endosperm in the Monocotyledons (excluding the Gramineae) 
and in the Nymphaeacese (cf. Sargant, 59, p. 71). 
Embryos oj FlowePin^ Plante 
Dicotyledon 5 
K py jptoco^ledons 
Tpue Dicotyledons 
(alt now constder»cd 
as Dicots except 
bymbhaeaceae) 
Polucotaledons 
(Confers) 
Monocotyledons 
tenarrYineae) 
Suncolyledons 
1 Lilieae 
Anoideae 
Haiadeae 
Palmae 
Scitamineae 
riymtpbaeaceae 
Cycads) 
Diagram I. 
A Classification of the Embryos of Flowering Plants according to Agardh 
(1829-1832). 
III. Newer Classifications and Phylogenetic Schemes. 
The idea that the Monocotyledons represented an older, more 
primitive or less highly-developed group was generally accepted 
until perhaps a little more than a generation ago. In more recent 
years, however, there has been a breaking-free from the far- 
reaching influence of Linnaeus, whose artificial system of classifi¬ 
cation, and belief in the “special creation” theory did much to 
check advance in the study of plant relationships. Morphological 
and anatomical studies have produced ideas as to the probable 
phylogeny of the plant-groups, together with more natural schemes 
of classification. Amongst these later systems may be mentioned 
those of Bessey (7; see also 6), Engler (21), Wettstein (75), Lotsy 
