250 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [ocTOBER 
upward, without causing any break in the continuity of the fibro- 
vascular strand of the axis from which it is derived. On the inner 
side of the axial strand is to be seen a longitudinal space, the protoxy- 
lem lacuna. ‘This is continuous through the nodal region in the cone, 
although in the vegetative axis, as will appear below, the lacuna is 
interrupted below each so-called zone of nodal wood. The con- 
dition of continuity through the nodal region presented by the pro- 
toxylem lacuna in the cone of Equisetum is paralleled by similar 
conditions described by WrtL1AMson in the nodal region of Cala- 
mites. Fig. 2 represents a transverse section through the cone of 
the same species of Equisetum which makes clear the topography of 
the sporophyll trace and its corresponding axial strand as seen in 
this plane. There is no indication of any gap in the strand of the 
axis corresponding to the outgoing leaf-trace, which exactly subtends 
it. The examination of a large number of sections has convinced the 
author that foliar gaps do not in any case occur in the cone axis of 
Equisetum in connection with the passing-off of the traces of the 
sporophylls. The sporophyll trace is only about one-third to one- 
fourth the magnitude of the axial strand from which it arises, and 
consequently if any indication of a gap were present it would be clearly 
recognizable. Fig. 1 shows a general view of a cross-section of the 
cone of Equisetum telemateia, indicating the relation of several sporo- 
phyll traces to their corresponding axial bundles. In the cone the 
foliar traces are vertically somewhat displaced on account of the 
crowded arrangement of the peltate sporophylls, so that even ™ 
accurately transverse sections all of them are not cut at the same 
level. On the left of the figure a trace has recently left its corre- 
sponding axial strand. The next foliar trace to the right 1s mu 
farther out in the cortex than the first. The interval, corresponding 
to the next axial strand, does not show a trace, as this is not in the 
plane of section for the reason indicated above. In the cas¢ of ge 
fourth trace the conditions are much as they are in the second; 
while the fifth trace is just leaving its axial strand. It will be ur 
by inspection of the whole figure that in each case where a sporophy 
trace is present, it subtends the axial bundle from which it was der! 
in the lower part of its course. There is accordingly no foliar < 
present. These micro-anatomical results only serve to confirm 1 
