Posthumous papers bequeathed to ... the East India Company ... Notulae ad plantas Asiaticas. Pt. II, On the higher cryptogamous plants ... / Arranged by J. M'Clelland.

  • Griffith, William, 1810-1845.
Date:
1849
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Posthumous papers bequeathed to ... the East India Company ... Notulae ad plantas Asiaticas. Pt. II, On the higher cryptogamous plants ... / Arranged by J. M'Clelland. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    The globose capsule has a rugose surface from the presure of the se- condary capsules within ; these are many in number, spherical, attach- ed by long capilliform pedicels to a central much branched recep- tacle; each contains two or three cellular masses, presenting on their contiguous faces two or three rediciform prolongations. In their substance may be seen inbedded numerous yellow grains, the spores. The genus Azolla was founded by M. La mark,* on speci- mens without fructification brought from Magellan by M. Commerson. M. Jussieu,f as I have stated, considered it a congener of Salvinia. Willd enowj who quotes Lainark, describes the fructifica- tion as u capsula unilocularis radicalis globosa polysperma It was first accurately defined by Mr. Brown in his Prod. FI. Nov. Holl. ed. 2, p. 22, and subsequently in the Appendix to Flinders5 Voyage to Terra Australis, vol. 2, p. 611, t. 10, in which it is worthily illustrated by that great observer, Ferdinand Bauer. M. Meyen observes of these illustrations, that they are so wonderfully complete, that repeated examinations since have made scarcely the least addition to what is therein represented. To this I may add, that M. Bauer has even delineated the trilineal mark on the yellow sac, which in itself is quite sufficient to shew the real origin and nature of that body. It was again described and figured by Martins,|| from American specimens. It has been observed in an original manner by M. Meyen,IF and also by M. Rafincsque, but I have no access to his ac- count. The character framed by Mr. Brown, leaves as usual, little or nothing to be desired. He considers the capsule con- * Enc. Meth. 2, p. 343, t. 8G3, and Suppt. 5, p. 5G7. t Gen. PI. 5, p. 17. % Sp. PI. 5, p. 541. )1 PI. Crypt. Bras. p. 123, t. 74, 75, f. 1. 1[ Nov. Act. Acad. 18, p, 507, t. 38.