LATELY INTRODUCED INTO ENGLAND. 263 



in a raceme more or less elongated. These spikes (fig. B. 1) grow 

 from within a few concave acute scales, which form a kind of 

 involucre at the base. Each male is a solitary membranous 

 anther, with a lanceolate, acuminate, reflexed appendage, and a 

 pair of parallel cells opening longitudinally. The female 

 FLOWERS form a small roundish, pedunculated, terminal, scaly 

 imbricated cone (fig. B. 3). The scales are fleshy, firm, lanceo- 

 late, and contracted at their base, where they unite into a solid 

 centre. All appear to be fertile, and to bear in a niche in the 

 middle, where the contraction is, a single inverted ovule (fig. B. 4). 

 The ovule is globular, with 2 integuments beyond the nucleus ; 

 the outer integument is loose and thin, and wraps round the 

 ovule in such a way tliat its two edges cannot meet on the under- 

 side of the ovule ;* the second integument is firm and fleshy ; the 

 nucleus is flask-shaped, and protrudes a fungous circular expan- 

 sion through the foramen. The fruit (fig. B. 5) is formed, by 

 the consolidation of the free scales of the cone, into a solid fleshy 

 mass of a depressed form and very irregular surCice, owing to 

 many of the scales being abortive, and crushed by those whose 

 seeds are able to swell ; while tlie ends of the whole retain their 

 original form somewhat, are free, rather spiny, and constitute so 

 many tough, sharp tubercles. The seed (fig. B. 6) is a pale 

 brown, shining, ovate, brittle nut, with 2 very slight elevated 

 lines, and a large irregular hilum ; at the base it is invested 

 with a short, thin, ragged membrane, which is the outer integu- 

 ment in its final condition. The nucleus lies half free in the 

 interior, the fungous apex having shrivelled up and disappeared. 

 Explanation of the Cuts. — A, a branch with male and female 

 flowers, natural size; B, various details of the fructification, 

 more or less magnified; 1, a spike of male flowers; 2, a male 

 or anther apart ; 3, a twig and young cone ; 4, a scale seen 

 from the inside with the inverted ovule, showing the fungous 

 foramen protruding beyond the primine (outer integument) ; 

 5, a ripe fruit ; 6, a seed showing the 2 slight elevations 

 upon the surface, and the remains of the ragged primine at the 

 base. 



* Since this was written Sir W. Hooker has placed in my hands a sketch 

 of the anatomy of the female flowers of Saxe-Gothsea, by Mr. B. Clarke, 

 who describes the ovule thus : — " Its ovule has the same structure as that of 

 Gnetum, as described by Mr. Griffith, viz. : it has 3 integuments ; the 

 internal protrudes, and forms a sort of stigma, not so obvious as in Gnetum ; 

 the external has constantly a fissure on its posterior, or rather inferior 

 surface, which however does not close as in Gnetum when the ovule 

 advances in growth, nor yet become succulent. Mr. Griffith describes the 

 fissure in the external integument of Gnetum as constantly posterior ; and 

 if the ovules of the strobilus were erect, they would agree with Gnetum in 

 this particular." 



