OF LOWER GHEENSAND PLANTS. 37 



third, a mass of irregular cellular tissue enveloping the whole. 

 .... The seeds are confined to the convex upper portion of the 

 fleshy pericarp, being buried in deep pits ; and forming a some- 

 what compact layer immediately under its surface. They are 

 small ovoid bodies, and are composed of two envelopes enclosing 

 the albumen and embryo." 



The single ripe "fruit" is a globoid oval mass, about 5 cm. 

 long and about half that diameter. It is enclosed in the long, 

 sheathing, sterile bracts. 



The rt.ris, or stalk, of the fructification terminates directly in 

 the somewhat expanded receptacle. The ground-tissues of the 

 axis are much like those of the leaf-bases, consisting of large 

 irregularly rounded cells with a number of large irregular gum- 

 canals. Running in the axis are vascular strands, which supply 

 the fruits (see text- fig. 7, p. 27) and have a large amount of 

 phloem. 



The bracts are attached to the part of the axis below the 

 terminal expansion. They have the structure of reduced 

 foliage leaves, and are each traversed by three vascular bundles. 

 There are also large gum-canals scattered through the ground- 

 tissue, which is itself remarkably characterised by masses of 

 soalariformly thickened cells which seem to be intermediate 

 between tracheal and transfusion elements. Stomates are 

 recorded by Scott (1909, p. 571) in the epidermis of the bracts 

 in this species, and sections of scales in the Museum slides, cut 

 transversely, show features in the epidermis very suggestive of 

 stomates, though Solms-Laubach did not feel satisfied that they 

 were present in B. Gibsonianus. Lignier (1894, p. W) records 

 them in the allied B. Morierei. 



Numerous interseminal scales are placed on the receptacle 

 which bears the $ organs. These steadily increase in size 

 towards their terminal expansion, and are attached by simple 

 stalks to the receptacle (see text-fig. 7, p. 27). Each stalk 

 is of wavy irregular outline, and they fit together compactly. 

 According to the position on the cone, the scales measure up 

 to 3-5 cm. in length. At the base of the receptacle all the 

 appendages are sterile scales of this type with short stalks, 

 while further up they are arranged to surround the seeds and to 

 form a false pericarp by their close adhesion. Small spaces 

 between them give entrance to the micropyles of the seeds. 



