170 



Torreya californica. 



sperm - nuclei. These two nuclei seem never to be surrounded by 

 separate masses of cytoplasm, agreeing- in this respect with Pinus. 

 Fig. 99, 5 shews one male nucleus in contact with the neck of the 

 archegonium while the second is some distance behind. One vegetative 

 nucleus is in contact with the body-cell. I believe that only one of the 

 two male nuclei is functional, for I have invariably found a separate 

 poUentube corresponding to each fertilized eg^. So far as I have ob- 



served the functional 

 nucleus is no larger 

 than the other. In the 

 equality of the sperm- 

 nuclei Torreya agrees 

 with Cephalotaxus as 

 described by Arnoldi, 

 but differs from Taxus 

 as represented in Be- 

 lajeff's well - known 

 figure." 



Fig. 99. Torreya cali- 

 fornica, nach Miss ROBERT- 

 SON. Nz Halszellen, § Eikern, 

 C?i (?2 Spermakeme, V vege- 

 tative Kerne des Pollen- 

 schlauches. 1 Die Zentralzelle 

 des Arehegons in Teilung. 

 2 Archegon mit Eikern, die 

 dunkle Partie desselben viel- 

 leicht der Rest des Bauch- 

 kernes. 3 Pollenschlauchspitze, 

 oben die Körperzelle, unten 

 Stielkern und Schlauchkern. 

 4 Körperzelle mit zwei (^ 

 Kernen. 5 Befruchtung, die 

 Körperzelle stark in die Länge 

 gezogen, so daß die (^, (^^ Kerne 

 weit auseinanderliegen. 6 Ein 

 C? Kern tritt in die Eizelle ein, 

 direkt unterhalb dieser eine 

 (vom Zeichner zu sehr granu- 

 lierte) Vakuole. 7 — 9 Ver- 

 schmelzung von Sperma- und 

 Eikern. 



„The passage of the functional male nucleus into the archegonium 

 is shewn in Fig. 99, 6, which is drawn from an ovule gathered on 

 August 31 St. The second male nucleus and the rear half of the body-cell 

 are left in the pollen-tube. ... In Fig. 99, 7 the male nucleus is 

 actually in contact with the egg-nucleus, whose membrane is pressed in 

 like a collapsing india-rubber ball. This peculiar method of union of 

 the male and female nucleus was first recorded by Blackman for Pinus, 

 and has since been demonstrated in various other Oymnos'perms. It 

 appears usual in Conifers for the male nucleus to slip from its proto- 

 plasmic sheath as it approaches the egg-nucleus and leave it behind 

 near the point of entrance. In Sequoia the male nucleus even enters 

 the ^gg naked, shedding its cytoplasm outside. Coker in bis paper on 



