93 



Fig. 80 PI. XIV shows clearly the vacuolated appearance of 

 their protoplasm , thus indicating that they have served as 

 foodstores for the developping pollengrains. The appearance of 

 their protoplasm reminds us forcibly of that of the endosperm- 

 cells of Balanophora. 



When the pollenmothercells are young yet they form a more 

 or less solid tissue, (fig. 71. PI. XIII) later on they separate and 

 float isolated inside of the poUenchamber (fig. 80). This is a 

 behaviour frequently found among monocotyledonous plants 

 and reminding us forcibly of the spore formation among vascular 

 cryptogames. 



Inside of each pollenmothercell the pollengrains are formed 

 by freecellformation, and arrange themselves tetraeder-wise , 

 which is a pollenformation most frequently found among Dico- 

 tyledonous plants. The pollenformation shows consequently 

 phases some of which remind us of monocotyledonous others 

 of dicotyledonous plants. The adult pollengrains afterwards 

 escape yet connected together fig. 65 PI. XIII or isolated fig. 50 

 PI. X. In this latter case the point w^here it has been at- 

 tached to an other pollengrain is plainly visible, while it shows 

 also that the intine of the one pollengrain is never connected 

 with the intine of the other. 



In the adult pollengrain (fig. 67 PL XIII) an intine and ex- 

 tine can very easily be distinguished; very soon the originally 

 single nucleus divides thus giving rise to two nuclei (fig. 69 

 PI. XIII, fig. 57 PI. XI) which two nuclei later on frequently 

 become flattened (fig. 68 PI. XIII), and stain in rather peculiar 

 manners (fig. 68, 70 PI. XIII). Later on one of the two nuclei 

 may divide again (fig. 73, 74, 75 PI. XIII) until at last three 

 very much elongated nuclei may be present, (fig. 79). Usually 

 however a formation of three nuclei does not take place, I see 

 in it a trial to form generative nuclei and subsequent degeneration. 

 All this occurs inside of the pollenchambers. 



Recapitulating : the male Jlower of Rhopalocnemis consists of a 

 single perianth and one gigantic stamen , in tohich the pollenchambers 

 are simple cavities in a homogenous tissue; while at no time i7i its 



