ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 175 



The female flower is reduced to a simple gynaacium consisting of 

 2-5 carpels, the usual number being two. Tbe male flower coDsistsof a 

 singlo perianth aud one very large stamen, in which the pollen-chambers 

 are simple cavities in a homogeueous tissue. There is no indication of 

 its having been formed by the concrescence of three stamens. The 

 pollen developes normally up to the time of two nuclei being formed, 

 but may later on form three nuclei, which appear to degenerate. 



No pollen was observed attached to the stigmas, nor any emission of 

 pollen-tubes. The production of seeds appears to be extremely rare, 

 but does occur. The author believes that in this case the embryo is not 

 produced parthenogenetically as in Balanophora elongata and globosa, 

 but normally, by impregnation of the ovum-cell. It is possible that the 

 extreme difficulty of pollination in Bhopalocnemis has led to apogamy in 

 Balanophora. Unlike Balanophora, Bhopalocnemis is able to form a 

 normal endosperm-nucleus without impregnation. 



The systematic position of Bhopalocnemis appears to be in the 

 Balanophoracese. 



Embryo-sac of Helosis.* — Prof. E. Chodat and C. Bernard regard 

 the embryo of Helosis guayanensis, belonging to the Balanophoraceae, as 

 probably an additional example of apogamy, resembling that of 

 Balanophora elongata. A marginal cell of the archesporial tissue, 

 always situated at the side of the styles, increases, to become directly 

 the embryo-sac. The sister-cells of the archespore do not, however, 

 perish, but remain distinct up to the period when the generating nucleus 

 of the endosperm is about to divide. There is occasionally a second 

 smaller embryo-sac, or perhaps more correctly, a second ovule. Each 

 of the synergids is a utricular cell prolonged in its upper part into a 

 saddle-like structure directed at right angles outwardly. No fusion 

 appears to take place of the secondary polar nuclei of the embryo-sac ; 

 the sister-nucleus of the oosphere developes directly into the endosperm. 

 At the moment when this nucleus, rich in chromatin, divides, the syner- 

 gids are disintegrated, aud the oosphere has become so poor in chromatin 

 as to be scarcely stainable. 



Multiplication of the Sporanges in Salisburia.t — Prof. L. J. Cela- 

 kovsky elucidates several points in the structure of the flower of Salis- 

 buria adiantifolia (Gingho biloba). The male and female flowers present 

 a much greater resemblance to one another than in the other Conifers, 

 exhibiting an approach to the Cycadea?. He regards the male and 

 female flowers of the Coniferaa as homologous to one another, both being 

 true flowers or floral shoots, and not leaf-like outgrowths of the bract, 

 as has been assumed by Delpino and Penzig in the case of the female 

 flowers. 



An increase in the number of ovules beyond the normal two is not 

 uncommon, and indicates the great antiquity of the genus as compared 

 to the other Coniferse, where the number two has become stereotyped. 

 The ovules are normally sessile ; occasionally they have a longer or 

 shorter funicle, and, when there are more than two, they are all alike 

 in this respect ; i.e. they are either all sessile, or all stalked, the fuuicles 



* Journ. de Bot. (Murot), xiv. (1900) pp. 72-9 (2 pis.). Cf. this Journal, 1900, 

 p. 51. 



t (Esterr. Bot. Zeitschr., 1. (1900) pp. 229-30, 276-83, 337-41 (5 figs.). 



