DEVELOPMENT OF THE OVULATE STROBILUS AND 
YOUNG OVULE OF ZAMIA FLORIDANA 
FRANCES GRACE SMITH 
(WITH TWENTY-TWO FIGURES) 
The results of a study of the development of the staminate strobilus 
and microsporangia of Zamia were published by the writer in 1907 (1). 
Some of the material, sent from Miami, Florida, in June of the years 
1905 and 1906 for this investigation, included ovulate cones. Later 
in the year 1906 an effort was made to secure a complete series of 
young ovulate cones, for Zamia, alone of the cycads of North America, 
exists in such profusion that whole plants may be sacrificed to secure 
a single small cone from each. There are some stages not yet covered 
by the series of cones which has been obtained, but it seems worth 
while at this point in the study of the material to sum up the results, 
and to postpone conclusions from these results and their theoretical 
bearing upon other cycad studies until a complete series has bee? 
gathered. 
Each year, since 1906, an attempt has been made to secure material 
which should give the origin of the integument. In 1907, out of 
eight or ten plants sent from Florida between July 25 and August 8, 
not one contained an ovulate cone. I do not know whether this w4® 
an unfruitful year or whether the collector was unfortunate in the 
plants he gathered. Another year, knowing just the period durms 
which the material ought to be gathered, careful collections were made, 
but in every case the cones had reached a development two weeks 
ahead of that of the previous year, so that it is evident collections of 
Zamia must be made often and during long periods in order to obtain 
a full series. 
The facts ascertained from the material cover the period from ne 
appearance of the ovulate cone to the time when the developing 
endosperm has partially filled the embryo sac, and will be treated 
under three periods of growth. 
Botanical Gazette, vol. 50] : be 
