358 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [novembek 



The process is the same in T. canadensis, the breaking of the thin- 

 walled epidermal cells at the base of the sporangium in a circle 

 around the base of the stalk, the rupture of some of the cells at the 

 side of the sporangium, and the hygroscopic role of the thickened 

 epidermal cells resulting in the wall of the sporangia spreading out 

 in umbrella form, the thin partitions between the several sporangia 

 also being broken in the process. 



When young the strobili rudiments are erect in the axils of the 

 leaves, but as they develop they become oriented in such a way as 

 to hang pendent on the lower side of the shoot, the fertile portion of 

 the strobilus being directed downward. Goebel (io) regards the 

 position and the method of dehiscence such as to secure the most 

 advantageous distribution of the pollen. 



Vascular features 



Since the reproductive organs, and especially the staminate 

 structures, are regarded as among the most conservative of plant 

 organs, a consideration of the vascular anatomy of the staminate 

 strobilus is not without interest. While the ovulate strobili of 

 conifers have been the subject of considerable investigation and 

 discussion, in their vascular as well as in other features, the stami- 

 nate strobili have not received much attention in their vascular 

 anatomy, probably not as much as they deserve in view of the 

 conservative nature generally assigned to them on other grounds. 

 The only reference to this feature of Taxus is by Strasburger (22), 

 who gave the arrangement of the scales of T. baccata and states 

 that each stamen contains a bundle which passes into the stalk. 



Like any other branch, the strobilus axis receives 2 bundles from 

 the cvlinder of the leafv shoot. These are semicircular in outline, 

 and by meeting at their edges soon form a closed cylinder, broken 

 here and there by the gaps formed by the weak bundle traces of the 

 scales. In the lower portion of the strobilus, where the scales are 

 small and decussate, the small traces often end in the cortex and 

 do not reach the scale itself. The traces for the upper scales are 

 better developed and extend for some distance into the midrib of the 

 scale, especially in the 2 or 3 uppermost scales. Although the axis 

 cylinder, as well as the cortical portion of the scale traces, are 



