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DB. M. T. MASTEES ON THE MORPHOLOGY, 







they have the same essential structure as the fruit-scale of this 



and all other genera. 



The last malformation that needs mention here is one in Pinus 

 rnuricata, in which a sort of false cone was produced consisting 

 entirely of hracts which were arranged in spirals consecutively 

 with a numher of hrown membranous scale-leaves on the stalk. 

 The bracts were thick and spongy, green at the base and purplish 

 brown at the tips, and each was traversed by a single fibro-vas- 

 cular bundle proceeding direct from the axis. No trace of fruit- 

 scale or of ovule was to be seen. "Whether such a production 

 would have been formed later on is doubtful. 



Before leaving the subject of malformations it is as well to 

 mention the peculiar cone-like galls made by certain Aphides 

 (Chermes). These are exceedingly common on the Larch and 

 Spruce, and might have been passed without comment but for the 

 fact that a genus was founded on them by one of our most dis- 

 tinguished botanists. 





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Ovules and Seeds 















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Throughout this communication the gymnospermy of the 

 Conifers and their intimate relation to some of the Vascular 

 Cryptogams has been taken for granted. It is not the writer's 

 intention in this place to enter upon the consideration of these 

 branches of the subject, which is amply discussed, so far as our 

 existing knowledge permits, by Strasburger, Eichler, Baillon, 

 and other botanists frequentlv mentioned in the course of this 

 paper. 



The most noteworthy characteristics from our present point of 

 view are the presence of an aril in most Taxaceae and Podo- 

 earpere, and its absence in the other suborders. The erect or 

 inverted position of the ovule is also evidently significant, as 

 the whole order may be subdivided into two groups by this cha- 

 racter. The number of the ovules varies, as has been shown. 

 Sometimes it is solitary, as in Taxus ; in Actinostrobus, Libocedrus, 

 some species of Thuya and Chamcecyparis, there are two (rarely 

 more) seeds to each scale. In Thuyopsis there are four or five 

 seeds, while in Callitris and Cupressus they are numerous. In 

 Taxodium there are but two ovules, while in Cryptomeria, 

 Sequoia, and Athrotaxis there are several. 



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In Araucarise, Araucaria and Aqathis have solitary ovules, . 



















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