GRAMINEAE 535 



began to blossom. Vegetative development was more and more checked during 

 flowering, and in the third year a shoot about 60 cm. long was developed from the 

 rhizome, which bore no leaves but only flowers. A lateral shoot was formed on an 

 older haulm. The appearance of new flowers between those of the previous year 

 may be explained by supposing that either some of those formed during that year only 

 obtained their full development a twelvemonth later, or that young spikelets were 

 formed as buds in the axils of the lower glumes of the first year spikelets, and attained 

 matiirity the next season. 



When the sexually mature flowers open the red anthers of the six stamens 

 project from between the glumes. In this species the anthers are not versatile, but 

 fixed between the downwardly directed corrucate processes of the anther-lobes. The 

 style divides above into three densely villous branches. Fruits were not set in the 

 plants observed. 



GYMNOSPERMAE. 



CXXVI. ORDER GNETACEAE ENDL. 

 1024. Ephedra Toum. 



3084. E. campylopoda Mey. (Cavari and Rogasi, Rendiconti Congr. bot. 

 di Palermo, 1902, abstracted in Bot. Centralbl., Cassel, xci, 1903, pp. 5-6.) This 

 species appears to be polyembryonous. Cavari and Rogasi state that pollination takes 

 place in Cagliari towards the end of June or in July. 



Strasburger observed a secretion of fluid at the tip of the micropyle, and a canal- 

 like cavity at the end of the nucellus. 



1025. Welwitschia Hook. f. 



3085. W. mirabilis Hook. f. In this species the curious stigma-like expansion 

 at the tip of the ovule indicates an adaptation of the margin of the integument to 

 insect-visits (Strasburger). 



1026. Gnetum L. 



3086. G. scandens Roxb. ( G. Ula Brongn.). (Lotsy, Flora, Marburg, xcii, 

 1903, pp. 397-403.) Lotsy, after examining a not quite complete lot of material, 

 thinks it probable that in this species (unlike G. Gnemon Z.) a large number of 

 embryos are parthenogenetically developed in the upper part of the embryo-sac. 

 Only a few of these come to maturity. 



CXXVII. ORDER CONIFER A E JUSS. 



All species of this order are anemophilous, the flowers being generally dioecious, 

 more rarely monoecious. The male ones form a large quantity of very light, dry, 

 mealy pollen, sometimes particularly adapted for removal by wind by appendages 

 resembling litde bladders filled with air. The pollen is sometimes so abundant that 



