CO TEE an 
93 
ON THE SEXUAL ORGANS OF THE CYCADACEE. 
By F. A. W. MIQUEL. 
Translated by W. TuIseELTON Dyer, B.A. 
(Puates XCI. and XCIL) 
(Concluded.) 
The suspensors spring from the base of the corpuscles. They are 
more or less spirally twisted, and descend at first to penetrate into 
the central cavity of the endosperm, but afterwards they are more or 
less pushed upwards by the embryo. I have not succeeded in ascer- 
taining if the suspensors of neighbouring corpuscles can coalesce with 
one another. It often happens that only one suspensor is well de- 
veloped, and this produces the embryo. This is shown in Plate XCII. 
fig. 2 and 4, where the suspensor proceeds from a corpuscle which 
appears lacerated, or has been destroyed in making the section. Its 
remains are still visible at the base of the sterile corpuscles. In fig. 8 - 
however, there are two twisted suspensors, the longest of them bearing 
the embryo. The suspensors produce lateral branches which terminate 
in rudimentary embryos in the form of tubercles (fig. 4 and 
These filamentary bodies represent the structure which the older car- 
pologists called the filum suspensorium, and which R. Brown called 
the suspensor. T have proposed for it, in consideration of its function, 
the name embryoblastanon. Others had applied the term proemóryo to 
it. In no other group of plants is this structure so complex as in 
Cycads. It is more or less cylindrical in shape, and composed of an 
aggregation of numerous elongated cells (Plate XCII. fig. 7). The 
remains of a delicate membrane may be distinguished on its surface; 
I am not able to give any explanation of it, but it may possibly be 
caused, like the membrane on the surface of the embryo, by a slight 
adhesion to the endospermic tissue. Such an adhesion might easily 
take place between the superficial cells of organs which are in contact 
during the time of their growth. The consistence of the filament is 
firm and solid. It is only at the point of junction with the embryo 
that it breaks readily. 
The endosperm, in the axis of which the embryo is tightly packed, 
is entirely unattached in the cavity which it occupies (Plate XCI. fig. 
17; Plate XCII. fig. 11-13). At its surface the appearance of the 
VOL. VII. [APRIL 1, 1869.] H 
