﻿BISPORANGIATE AXES. 



147 



and, being present in a few instances only, has scarcely been observed in longi- 

 tudinal sections, which cut only a few bracts. But in the transverse sections, 

 owing to the considerable number of bracts cut, preservation is more frequently 

 observed, and in such cases found to agree with that of similar bract sections from 

 large and simply ovulate cones. 



OVULATE CONE. 



The central ovulate cone is of elongate conical form, its height being 4 cm. 

 and the basal diameter about 1.5 cm. The gently sloping lateral surface ends in a 

 rounded tip, sometimes extended as a bushy mass of interseminal scales. As seen 



Fig. 73 —Continued. 



b S.SIsL.T.Z/t, 



S. 366 cuts middle of ovulate cone and the fertile decurved tips of the stammate fronds, which 

 at this height still fuse basally to form the campanulate disk. 



in both transverse and 

 longitudinal sections the 

 central cone bears an ovu- 

 late zone entirely similar 

 in general appearance to 

 the ovulate region in 

 various diskless ovulate 

 cones in very early stages 

 of growth, from which, 

 to the nearly or fully 

 mature ovulate cones, 

 there is a reasonably con- 

 nected series. Necessa- 

 rily in so young a stage 

 the cell structure of the 

 seed pedicels and their 

 apical ovulate region 

 with the intervening 

 scales would be too im- 

 perfectly defined for fully 

 distinct preservation, 

 although the general out- 

 lines of these organs are 

 clearly present. The ovu- 

 late zone is seen to be 

 about 0.6 mm. in depth, 

 and the integumental, nucellar, hilum, and funicular regions of the minute seeds 

 may be clearly distinguished in some instances, as shown in figure 72. Likewise 

 there is clearly present the usual development and arrangement of interseminal 

 scales with the more or less expanded tips seen in the younger seed-bearing cones. 

 Just at its summit the cone presents a brush-like appearance in longitudinal sec- 

 tions, due to crowding and elongation of the interseminal scales, there being no 

 ovules interspersed for a distance of several millimeters down the sides of the cone. 

 Also at the base of the cone for a distance of a centimeter up its side there are 

 interseminal scales only, the lowermost being short, with gradual increase to the 



d t S.3UJ.T.Z/H. 



S. 367 passes just above summit of ovulate cone, and shows the disk beginning to divide into 

 separate fronds, the tips of which (t) are much compressed laterally. Owing as much to 

 slight obliquity of the section as to irregularity of the disk, division into fronds is not equal 

 on both sides. (For relative position in longitudinal section see fig. 72.) 



