22 OEIGINAL AETICLES. 



tliG exterior envelope appear first and the central swelling later, the 

 body is a pistil, because the carpel always appears earlier than the 

 ovule. 



Tliis mode of discovering the nature of the parts fails only in 

 cases where a single ovule apjDears to be a direct continuation of the 

 axis, as in Bheum, Polyrjonum, «&c., because in these cases it is im- 

 possible to decide upon the instant of time at which the apex of the 

 axis becomes changed into the nascent ovule or its nucleus. Baillon, 

 indeed, mentions that the ovules of Conifers arise from the axis ; but 

 if the contrary view be established, the test of priority of origin may 

 certainly be applied to the determination of the nature of the different 

 parts of the organ under consideration. 



Early in January, 1861, 1 examined, for the purpose of testing M, 

 Baillon's statement, the female flowers of Thuja orientalis L., Taxus 

 haccata L., Ciipressus sempervirens L., CalUtris montana, Juniperus 

 cominunis L., J, splicerica Lindl., J. Snbina Jj., J. virginiana L., and 

 Pinus Larix L. The climate of Regensbui'g not being hot enough ta 

 enable GingTco biloha, Phyllocladus or Tarreya to flower, even in the 

 greenhouse, I regret not to have had it in my power to examine more 

 than a very few of the species on which M. Bailion's observations 

 were made. 



With the exception of the Larch, the flowers of all the plants 

 which I examined were almost fully, or at least half^ developed ; but 

 even in this state of advancement I was led to doubt the accuracy of 

 M. Bailion's statement, that the outer covering (or integument of 

 authors) consists of two carpels. For when two carpels are present, 

 two separate apices (styles, Baillon calls them,) may be expected to 

 be visible ; and, in fact, all Bailion's figures of the adult organs in 

 question show two lobes or apices, as in the figure of Pinus resinostty 

 t. i. f. 28, &c., Tlmja orientalis, t. ii. /. 17, Ciipressus sempervirens, 

 t. ii. f. 20, 21, Phyllocladus 'rJiomhoidalis, t. ii. f. 24, Taxus haccata, 

 t. ii./! lli, 15. Except, however, in the Tew, in which I found the 

 micropyle to present the appearance of an arched or more rarely 

 straight fissure, the ends of which are opposite to the two highest leaf- 

 scales (bracts), the margin of the organ in question (Bailion's pistil- 

 lum) was not, in the plants I examined, by any means constantly two- 

 lobed,and in the Junipers 1 never observed it to be so. The margin of 

 the "pistillum" oi Juniperus splicerica, which appeared fidly developed, 

 was invariably entire, and formed by a circle of ten or eleven cells. In 

 the other species of Jimiper it was generally obliquely truncate, and 

 in the same species, nay even in the same specimen, it was at one 

 time irregularly sinuate or repand or toothed, at another emarginate 

 on one side or perfectly entire. In CalUtris montana the orifice was 

 very wide and surrounded by about twenty cells, and its margin was 

 either irregular or repand, or 3-4-toothcd, or quite entire. I never 

 saw it two-lobed. In Thuja orientalis and Ciipressus sempervirens, 

 in which Baillon always figiu"es it as two-lobed, I fomid it occasion- 

 ally so, but more frequently the orifice was irregularly sinuate or 





