* 
258 HINTS ON A NEW CHARACTER IN FERNS. 
Fig. 5. Transverse section near base of stipes of Lastrea Ore- 
opteris, Presl. Here the outer woody zone (a) is of a dark 
brown colour, the central cellular tissue (c) pale white, the vas- 
cular fascicles (6) oblongo-subreniform, two, large, parallel, cen- 
tral, the vascular tissue itself of a narrow linear, curved, vermi- 
form figure, the dark-coloured zone reduced to two rounded dots 
on the internal side of each vascular fascicle. Higher up the 
stipes the dark-coloured dots disappear altogether, the vascular 
fascicles remaining unaltered im form. 
Fig. 6. Transverse section near base of stipes of Polypodium 
vulgare, Linn. Vascular fascicles four, round, in pairs, upper 
pair larger, encircled by dark-coloured zone, vascular tissue reni. 
form. In a section higher up the stipes the smaller and lower 
pair unite into one fascicle, and still higher they disappear alto-. 
gether, and the larger pair coalesce into one, as in fig. 7. 
Fig. 8. Transverse section of Polypodium Phegopteris, Linn., 
near base of stipes. Vascular fascicles two, central oblong, 
rather large in proportion, divergmg from each other in the 
upper part, no dark-coloured zone, vascular tissue itself narrow 
linear-reniform. In a section higher up the vascular fascicles 
coalesce into one large heart-shaped fascicle, the vascular tissue 
uniting at the base as in fig. 9. 
Fig. 10. Transverse section of stipes of Polypodium Dryop- 
teris, Linn. Vascular fascicles two, central, parallel, round, sur- 
rounded with dark-coloured zone. 
Fig. 11. Transverse section of stipes of Asplenium Ruta-mu- 
raria, Linn. Vascular fascicles single, central, irregularly rounded, 
without any dark-coloured zone; vascular tissue in two bundles, 
crescent-shaped, placed relatively back to back. 
Fig. 12. Transverse section of base of stipes of Scolopendrium 
vulgare, Sym. Vascular fascicles two, central, small, parallel, 
kidney-shaped, each flanked on opposite sides by two oblong 
dark-coloured masses, various in size and form; vascular tissue 
itself narrow, limear-reniform. In a section higher up the stipes 
the two fascicles combine into one mass, as in fig. 13. 
Fig. 14. Transverse section near base of stipes of Blechnum 
boreale, Sw. Vascular fascicles two, small, central, parallel, 
broadly oblong, without any dark-coloured zone; vascular tissue 
reniform. Fig. 15 shows section higher up, in which the two 
principal fascicles are pushed upwards towards the upper surface 
