1908] BURHNCAME—PODOCARPUS 173 



stages shown in the plates (figs. 26, 27; text fig. f) occurred along 

 with the youngest. In some cases the cell walls were still intact, 

 while in other pollen grains not more advanced, the nuclei and body 

 cell were free in the common cytoplasm (text figs. 1, 3, 7). 



Discussion 



The facts presented in the preceding account are in the main 

 confirmatory of those already reported by Coker and by Jeffrey 

 and Chrysler for other species of Podocarpus; hence their main 

 value is that they offer additional evidence that the phenomena 

 described by these authors are not limited to the species studied by 

 them. These authors and others as well have called attention to 

 the resemblances to the Abietineae in the winged pollen, thick sporan- 

 gium wall, and general similarity of the staminate strobilus. 



The main interest centers about the development of the male 

 gametophyte. Coker (2) reported two primary prothallial cells 

 in P. coriacea, which divide amitotically. Jeffrey and Chrysler 

 (5) have recorded as many as eight in the species studied by them. 

 Miss Young (14) has also recorded as many as four in species of 

 Dacrydium. Thompson (13) has found 30 to 40 prothallial cells 

 in Agathis; and Lopriore (8) has reported a cell complex in Arau- 

 caria that reaches about 15 in number before the walls break down, 

 when the freed nuclei may then further divide until as many as 

 44 may be found in the pollen tube. He interprets these as sperma- 

 togenous cells and cites the case of Cupressus as analogous. Cham- 

 berlain (2) has already called attention to the fact that the drawings 

 seem to indicate that these nuclei are really prothallial and that 

 there is only one body cell. In this view Miss Young (14) has con- 

 curred, as it would seem most students of gymnosperms must. Re- 

 nault (10, 11) and Oliver (9) have described the multicellular 

 pollen grains of the Cordaitales and Stephanospermum, where as 

 many as 20 cells are found in the male gametophyte; whether they 

 are prothallial or spermatogenous is uncertain. 



Caldwell (i) has reported as many as nine or ten body cells in 

 Microcycas, along with a single stalk and single prothallial cell. 

 Chamberlain in a forthcoming paper reports that Ceratozamia 

 occasionally has four sperms. Juel (6) found a variable number 



