6 HOLDEN, Abnormal Spike of Ophioglossum vulgatuni. 



For purposes of comparison hand sections of twenty 

 normal peduncles were cut, at approximately equal 

 intervals, and were found to fall into three series. 



The first of these, which I propose to term the 

 " robust " type, exhibited five strands at the end nearest 

 its union with the sterile segment, these dividing up to 

 form a maximum number of eight bundles, anastomosing 

 with their fellows at various points in their course through 

 the peduncle, and ultimately uniting to form a series of 

 five in the region of the first sporangium {Text-fig. III. ^, 

 la-if). 



There was only a single specimen of this type in the 

 number examined. 



The second type, comprising sixteen of the twenty, 

 and which 1 propose to term the " normal " type, showed 

 roughly the same features as the first, commencing 

 basally with five bundles, but exhibiting divisions and 

 anastomoses which were less, both in number and 

 frequency, than those of the first type. In the region of 

 the first sporangium this type also exhibited five bundles 

 in transverse section {Text fig. III. i?, la — 2/). 



The third type, under which the remaining three 

 peduncles are included, is smaller than the others, and 

 may be termed the "slender" type. In it the basal 

 number of bundles was three. There were no signs of 

 anastomoses, and the lateral bundles each divided once 

 giving rise to five, at the commencement of the fertile 

 region, as in the remainder {Text fig. III. C, ^a — 3^). 



An examination of the appended text-figure {Text-fig. 

 III., A, B, C) will serve to demonstrate then, that, though 

 there is considerable variability in the number of vascular 

 strands in the lower portion of the peduncle, the number 

 entering the fertile region is very generally five. 



