STEM STRUCTURE OF HcuutcUn CapCHsis. 121 



single ones. De Bary (I) mentions that in some species of Cyathea 

 and Aisophila, 



" there are, in addition, small bundles which originate from the foliar gaps 

 and traverse pith and cortex, there forming a delicate open network." 



Nothing of this nature occurs in Hemitelia. The same author 

 also describes the frequent anastomosing of the two inner leaf- 

 traces and also of those arising from the outer edge of the foliar 

 gap itself. However, in Hemitelia, as shown in figures 2 and 3, 

 there is very little anastomosing as describe-d above, the two 

 traces may join together and their Sclerenchymatous sheath may 

 join that of the main tube, but after the separation of the leaf 

 bundles in the leaf base they all continue their course independently 

 into the leaf. Shortly after they separate a hard ring of scleren- 

 chyma is formed about half an inch from the base of the leaf, 

 thus joining up the whole ring of bundles, but above this they 

 are free. 



From the leaf base below this band smaller bundles are given off 

 adventitiously. Buds are eventually formed where these terminate 

 and grow into small plantlets. The plantlets are seen arising from 

 many of the old leaf bases on the lower side and producing small 

 leaves. They probably drop off and constitute a means of vegeta- 

 tive reproduction. 



De Bary also mentions (quoting Mettenius) that in transverse 

 section of the petiole a curve of several bundles is seen, convex 

 below and curving inwards on the upper side towards the centre 

 of the section. I found that coming off from the margin of the foliar 

 gap there are two leaf traces, described above, and an outer ring 

 of about nine others, while from the inside of this ring, but also 

 Irom tlie edge ol the gap, arise two other bundles, one on each 

 side and just below the two top ones. This would give the appear- 

 ance of the two ends of a line of bundles curving inwards as Met- 

 tenius (2) described (see figs. 3 and 4). 



Fig. 4. 



In the pith itself, in transverse section, one sees numerous bun- 

 dles of varying sizes. At first sight it would seem that these 

 also are leaf traces, but careful dissection of several specimens 

 showed that they have absolutely no connection with the leaves 

 and are purely cauline bundles. Moreover they are themselves 

 imconnected, so that each one can be separately dissected from 

 1he pith. Each tapers towards the extremitits and ends blindly 



