252 PROF. W. C. WILLIAMSON ON A NEW FORM 



the dotted line, x x, represents the direction of the hori- 

 zontal section, fig. 3. From this it will be seen that, after 

 giving off the ascending sporangiophores (^), the bracti- 

 gerous disk continues its outward course for a very short 

 distance, and then bends suddenly downwards, resuming its 

 upward direction as it approaches the exterior of the stro- 

 bilus. As the sporangia accommodate themselves to these 

 curvatures, it follows that a section made in the line (fig. 1 3) 

 X X will intersect the sporangia at its peripheral margin, 

 as is done in the instance of fig. 3, i i. 



Fig. 4 represents a transverse section of the entire stro- 

 bilus, made at an angle somewhat inclined to the central 

 axis ^ ; hence, whilst in the part opposite to x it intersects 

 the strobilus nearly in the same plane as fig. 3, throughout 

 the remainder of the section (as at y) it has crossed the seg- 

 ment somewhat higher up, revealing the structure of the 

 central axis and of the sporangiophores, h h\ after their 

 detachment from the bractigerous disk and their consequent 

 separation from the axis. In this section we see the medul- 

 lary cavity at a surrounded by the woody axis, the innermost 

 part of which consists of the coalesced bases of the ten pri- 

 mary peduncles. Each of the latter exhibits the two small 

 pores seen in fig. 3 d, and which obviously indicate con- 

 tinuous canals, running vertically through the woody axis. 

 The relations of the woody axis to the bractigerous disk and 

 surrounding mass of sporangia have been somewhat dis- 

 turbed by a rupture apparently due to some shrinking of 

 the cone prior to fossilization ; but, notwithstanding this, 

 we have no difficulty in identifying the various parts of 

 the section. Thus at c we have one of the primary pe- 

 duncles flanked on either side by one of the large pyriform 

 spaces, //. At the peripheral extremity of this peduncle 

 we see the rounded inner boundaries of the two smaller 

 pyriform spaces, which, though somewhat disturbed, can 



* As indicated by the line vj w \n fig. V6. 



