JOUENAL 



OF THE 



ROYAL MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY. 



APRIL, 1909. 



TRANSACTIONS OF THE SOCIETY 



VII. — The President" s Address : On Seeds, with Special Reference to 



British Plants. 



By The Right Hon. Lord Avebury, P.C. D.C.L. LL.D. F.R.S. 



(Read January 20, 1909.) 



Following to some extent the example of my distinguished pre- 

 decessor, I devoted my Address last year to the consideration of 

 "Seeds, with Special Reference to British Plants," but time and 

 space compelled me to restrict my remarks to Dicotyledons. At 

 the same time, however, I intimated that if it met with your 

 approval I should hope this year to deal with the Gymnosperms 

 and Monocotyledons. 



Your courtesy in printing the Address, and the demand I have 

 experienced for separate copies, encourage me in the hope that I 

 shall be acting in accordance with your wishes in carrying out this 

 year the remainder of my programme. 



Gymnosperms. 



Coniferje. — Although the Conifers form so important an 

 element in our woodland scenery, they are only represented in 

 Britain by four indigenous and one introduced, or, rather, re-intro- 

 duced species, belonging to three, in many respects very distinct, 

 genera. The flowers are monoecious or dioecious ; the ovules and 

 seeds are naked, that is to say, there is neither ovary, style, nor 

 pericarp. The fruits differ widely in aspect, though in origin they 

 are similar. 



In the Pines, Firs, etc., the micropyle points away from the free 

 April 21st, 1909 l 



