G FMNOSPER MAE. CONIFER AE. 



327 



Cunninghamia has the form of a narrow membrane with toothed margin rising above 

 the three macrosporangia (Fig. 256, 4 /). This ' ligular ' outgrowth certainly has to 

 do with the protection of the microsporangia, and may therefore be compared to the 

 indusium-like formation covering the microsporangia in the staminal leaves of the 

 Cupressineae. In Sciadopitys there are seven or eight macrosporangia on each scale 

 which has a thick broad cushion instead of the membranous border of Cunninghamia. 



ar 



FIG. 256. Female flowers of Coniferae. i. Dammara australis, a leaf-bearing- macrosporangia from the inside ; 

 M the macrosporangium (ovule) with winged integument fl, slightly magnified. 2. Longitudinal section of i ; Jnt the 

 integument, M macrosporangium, the micropyle M (should have been Mi) is directed downwards. 3. Longitudinal 

 section through a cone-scale of Araucaria excelsa ; i outgrowth of the scale above the macrosporangium; vascular 

 bundles enter the outgrowth. 4. Cunninghamia. sinensis, a cone-scale with three macrosporangia M from the inside; 

 i membranous outgrowth of the scale above the ovules. 5. Longitudinal section through a cone-scale of Microcrachys 

 tetragons. ; a the aril, the ovule is inserted near the tip of the scale, z outgrowth of the scale above the ovule. 

 6. Cryptoneriajaponica, portion of a longitudinal section through a young cone ; the ovules are in the axil of the scales 

 d, which form an outgrowth above them. 7 and 8. Cupressus Laivsoniana. 7. Longitudinal section through a young 

 cone, two (axillary) ovules included. 8. Part of a longitudinal section through a half-ripe fruit ; the point s of the scale is 

 forced outwards by the outgrowth i formed on the inner surface (upper side) of the scale. 9. Podocarpus macrophylla, 

 female flower in longitudinal section, ovule anatropous ; ar the aril ; i, 2, 48 after Eichler, 3 after Strasburger. 



The Taxodineae closely resemble the Araucarieae in the mode of formation of 

 their female flowers ; but the outgrowth on the upper side of the scale which bears 

 the macrosporangia is much larger than in the Araucarieae, and developes into a 

 special scale known as the seminiferous scale (squama fructifera) or fruit scale, which 

 by the time the cones are ripe may rise considerably above the cone-scale from which 

 it springs, and which is termed the Iract-scale. Fig. 256, 6, gives a longitudinal 

 section through a young cone of Cryptomeriajaponica, in which the dorsal outgrowth 

 from the scales of the cone, that is, the rudimentary seminiferous scale, is still small, 

 while in the ripe cone the toothed seminiferous scale is more than twice the height of 

 the bract-scale. 



