568 ON THE PLURALITY AND DEVELOPMENT 



ill Cycade(B and Conifera, published in 1826,^ I endeavoured 

 to prove that in these two famiUes of plants the ovulum 

 was in no stage inclosed in an ovarium, but was exposed 

 directly to the action of the pollen. 



In support of this opinion, which has since been generally, 

 though I believe not universally adopted, the exact resem- 

 blance between the organ until then termed ovarium in these 

 two famihes, and the ovulum in other phsenogamous plants, 

 was particularly insisted on ; and I at the same time re- 

 ferred, though with less confidence, to their agreement in 

 the more important changes consequent to fecundation. 



I noticed also the singular fact of the constant plurality 

 of embryos in the impregnated ovula of Cycadece, and the 

 not unfrequent occurrence of a similar structure in Coniferce, 

 In continuing this investigation, in the course of the same 

 summer in which the essay referred to appeared, it seemed 

 probable, from the examination of several species of the 

 Linnaean genus Finns, namely, Finns Abies, Strobus and 

 Larix, that the plurality and regular arrangement of em- 

 bryos were as constant in Coniferce as in Cycadece ; for in 

 all the species of Finns here referred to, tlie preparation 

 for the production of several embryos was equally mani- 

 fest, and the points or areolae of production were in like 

 manner disposed in a single circular series at the upper 

 extremity of the amnios. 



From these observations, which I have since confirmed 

 in the same and also in other species oiFiims, an additional 

 and important point of resemblance is established between 

 309] Cycadece and Coniferce ; and it is worthy of remark, that 

 while the female organ in these two families exists in 

 a simpler form than in other phsenogamous plants, the 

 normal state of the impregnated ovulum is much more 

 complex, and might even be considered as compound, or 

 made up of the essential parts of several confluent ovula. 



On considering the well-known oeconomy of several 

 Coniferce, and especially of the genus Finns, as at present 

 limited, namely, in their requiring (at least) two seasons to 

 ripen their cones^, it occurred to me that these plants, from 



1 111 the Appendix to Capt. King's Voyage. {^Ante, p. 453.] 



