170 " BOTANICAL GAZETTE [MARCH 
tudinal (figs. r and 2) and in transverse sections (figs. 1a, m, b, and 2a, 
m, b).. That the lower portion of the tongue cell is surrounded by the 
upper part of the cell below it is well shown in both longitudinal and 
transverse sections of the two-celled stage of the conceptacle. 
The lower cell of this two-celled structure divides longitudinally 
into two similar daughter elements, thus producing the three-celled 
stage of the conceptacle (jig. 3). The longitudinal wall reaches to the 
lower portion of the tongue cell, whose basal portion is surrounded 
now by two cells instead of by one. _ The relative position of the three 
cells is made clearer by an examination of their transverse sections. 
A cross section near the base of the three-celled structure shows two 
similar cells (fig. 3b). A cross section about midway between the 
apex and base shows three cells (figs. 3m and 3bm), the tongue cell 
and the two lower cells which surround its base. A section of the apex 
is circular in outline and consists of the tongue cell alone (fig. 3a). The 
three-celled stage of the conceptacle is apparently formed occasionally 
in another way. The two longitudinal sections of an initial cell are 
shown in figs. 4, 5, containing three nuclei but no walls. Two nuclei 
appear in one section and one in the other. It seems that the nucleus 
of the initial cell in this instance divided first with its spindle perpen- 
dicular to the axis of the cell, and that one of the daughter nuclei 
divided with its spindle parallel to the axis. 
After the three-celled stage, the development of the conceptacle is 
readily followed. The two lower of the three cells divide longitudi- 
nally in various planes. A condition thus results which exhibits five 
cells in longitudinal median section (fig. 6). Four of the five cells are 
young cells of the recent divisions, and one is the centrally placed 
tongue cell. Longitudinal divisions continue as before, and a struc- 
ture showing six or seven cells in longitudinal section is formed (fig. 7)- 
The tongue cell is still conspicuous in this and in several succeeding 
stages. Longitudinal divisions continue as illustrated in figs. 8, 9, 11; 
until the walls of the entire conceptacle are formed. Some of the 
wall cells begin to develop sexual organs when the conceptacle is 
very small (figs. 9, 11). - This activity of the cells, however, does not 
prevent them from contributing to the growth of the conceptacle. 
The mouth of the conceptacle is surrounded by a marginal ring of 
epidermal tissue about one or two cells deep (figs. 8, 11). As these 
