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found to be absolutely indispensable. The descri|jtion above given is that 

 which 1 conceive proper to explain the views now taken upon the subject, in 

 consequence of the discovery by iMr. Brown of the ovula of the whole order 

 being naked; and it will probably be found to ofier a more intelligible account 

 of the fructification than is to be met with in even the most recent systematic 

 works. It is not expedient to enter here upon an inquiry into the ideas that 

 botanists have successively entertained upon this subject. Those who are 

 desirous of informing themselves upon this point will find all they can desire 

 in the Appendix to Captain King's Voyage to New Holland, and in Richard's 

 Memoires stir les Conifires et les Cycadces. It may, however, be useful to 

 advert briefly to the principal theories which have met with advocates. These 

 are, firstly, that the female flowers consist of a bilocular ovarium having a 

 stvle in the form of an external scale, an opinion held by Jussieu, Smith, and 

 Lambert ; secondly, that they have a minute cohering perianthium, and an 

 external additional envelope called the cupula : this view was taken by Schu- 

 bert, Mirbel, and others ; thirdly, that they have a monosepalous calyx coher- 

 ing more or less with the ovarium, contracted and often tubular at the apex, 

 with a lobed, or glandular, or minute entire limb, an erect ovarium, a single 

 pendulous ovulum, no style, and a minute sessile stigma : this explanation is 

 that of Richard, published in his memoir upon the subject in 1826. It 

 appears, however, from the observations of Mr. Brown, that the female organ 

 of Coniferse is a naked ovulum, the integuments of which have been mistaken 

 for floral envelopes, and the apex of whose nucleus has been considered a 

 stigma. Of the accuracy of this view there is probably, at this time, littie 

 ditierence in opinion. These female organs, or naked ovula, are in the cone- 

 bearing genera 2 in number, and they originate from the larger scales of 

 the cone towards their base, have an inverted position, and occupy the 

 same relative place in Coniferse and in Zamia, a genus of Cycadese. Now, 

 as there cannot be any doubt of the perfect analogy that exists between the 

 scales of the cone of Zamia and the fruit-bearing leaves of Cycas, the former 

 differing from the latter only in each being reduced to 2 ovula, and to an 

 undivided state; so there can be no doubt of the equally exact analogy 

 between the scales of Coniferas and Zamia, and therefore the former would 

 be called reduced leaves if the general character of the tribe was to produce 

 a highly developed foliage ; but as the foliage of Conifer-* is in a much more 

 contracted state than the scales of their cones, the latter must be understood 

 to be the leaves of Coniferse in a more developed state than usual. That the 

 scales of the cone really are metamorphosed leaves, is apparent not only 

 from this reasoning, but from the following facts. They occupy the same 

 position with respect to the bractcpc as the leaves do to their membranous 

 sheaths ; they surround the axis of growth as leaves do, and usually termi- 

 nate it; but in some cases, as often in the Larch, the axis continues to elon- 

 gate beyonfl them, and leaves them collected round it in the middle. In 

 Araucaria they have absolutely the san:e structure as the ordinary leaves; 

 and finally they sometimes assume the common appearance of leaves, as is 

 represented in Richard's memoir, tab. 12., in the case of a monstrous Abies. 

 The scales of the cones of Coniferae and strobilaceous Cycadeye are therefore 

 to these orders, what carpellary leaves are to other plants With regard to 

 the male flowers, it is obvious that in the Ginkgo, the Larch, the Cedar of 

 Lebanon, the Spruce, and the like, each anther is formed of a partially con- 

 verted scale, analogous to the indurated carpellary scale of the females ; and 

 therefore each amentum consists of a number of monandrons naked male 

 flowers, collected about a common axis. Some botanists, however, consider 

 each male catkin as a singir monadel|)hous male flower, which is im])()ssible. 

 But in the Yew the mah' flowers consi'^t of a peltate scale, around which arc 



