42 



THE OVULES, OF GYMNOSPERMS. 



A. diffbrinis, Boud. (Ascobolus, Ny- 

 laiider) . Abo. 



(3 ?) A. papillatus, Boud. (Feziza, 

 Pers.). France. 



(10.) A. ciliatus, Boud. (Ascobolus, 

 Schmidt) . England, France, Ger- 

 many, Sweden. 



(22.) A. pilosus, Boud. {Ascobolus, 

 Fries). All Europe. 

 Var. equinus. 

 Var. vacciniis. 

 Ascobolei spurii dubii. 

 (31.) A. miniatus, Preuss. Germany. 

 Phialea ? 



(2.) A. pulcherrimus, Crouan 



ziza. 

 (11.) A. insignis, Crouan. Feziza. 

 A. Fersoonii, Crouan. Humaria. 

 (29.) A. Crec'hquerauliii, Crouan. 



Humaria. 

 (13.) A. Crouani, Cooke {A. miniatus, 



Crouan). Humaria ? 

 A. Guernisaci, Crouan. 



The followiiio[ are excluded : — 



Pe- 



(33.) A. Brassicm, Crouan. 



(19.) A. micruscopicus, Crouan. 



(32.) A. coccinetis, Crouan. Huma- 

 ria. 



A. Leveillei, Crouan. 



(34.) A. Trifolii, Bernliardi. Fha- 

 cidium. 



(27.) A.testaceus,^aXixo\h. Peziza. 



THE OVULES OF GYMNOSPERMS. 



M. Ph. von Tieghem has published a Paper (Ann. des Sc. Nat. 

 Botanique, ser. v. vol. x. p. 269) on the female flower and fruit of the 

 Cycadea, Conifera, and Gnetaceee. The author, by an examination of 

 the disposition of the vascular bundles which pass to the reproductive 

 bodies in the families named, seeks to determine whether these organs 

 are borne on leaves or on branches, that is to say, whether they are 

 naked ovules or appendicular or axillary organs. His conclusions are 

 as follows : — 



The Cycadeae are true Gymnosperms ; the ovules are borne on the 

 margins of modified leaves or open carpels, springing directly from the 

 axis of the female bud. 



The ConlfercB are also Gymnosperms ; but the ovules are never 

 borne on a primary bract, that is, a bract springing from the axis of 

 the female bud ; and in this there is an essential difference between 

 Coniferce and Cycadea. The coniferous ovule is always produced on 

 the dorsal face of the first and only leaf of an axillary branch, which 

 disappears in producing it ; this leaf is an open carpel, and is itself the 

 complete flower ; it is produced opposite to the parent leaf, on the 

 branch, so that the two leaves are in contact by the inner surfaces. 



