io6 



GYMNOSPERMS 



strands branch immediately, before they reach the level of the stony 



layer, and, from that point, extend almost to the micropylc without 

 any further branching. 'Ihe number of these outer bundles is quite 



Fig. 98. — Dioon edule: sporophylls loosely compacted into a cone, 30 cm. in length. — 



After ClIAMBKRLAlN.'"" 



constant for any species and usually docs not exceed a dozen. The 

 inner strands, after reaching the inner fleshy layer, fork repeatedly 

 so that they are much more numerous than the outer bundles (fig. 



