Notes on South African Cycads. 349" 



Strasburger discussed the pollination of the gymnosperms, and 

 arrived at the conclusion, which has been generally accepted, that 

 anemophily holds throughout the group. There are, however, in- 

 dications that entomophily occurs in the Gnetacese (Pearson). On 

 the ground that so many pollen-grains are found in the chamber of 

 a pollinated ovule, Sir Joseph Hooker has recently suggested that the 

 Cycads also are entomophilous (Oliver and Scott). This suggestion 

 is supported by the facts now recorded as well as by the observation 

 that a strong odour is developed in the male cones of a Cycas,* and 

 probably also in other members of the family. That a very large 

 proportion of the ovules of a cone become pollinated f must be 

 regarded as additional evidence, for if the pollen were entirely wind- 

 carried it might reasonably be expected that only those situated on 

 the usually windward side of a bulky cone would receive pollen. So 

 far as I am aware there are no records to show that this is ever 

 the case. The whole question derives additional interest when con- 

 sidered in the light of the recently described structure of the cupule 

 of the seed of the palaeozoic Pteridosperm Lagenostoma Lomaxi 

 (Oliver and Scott). It seems not unlikely that the entomophilous 

 habit is of considerably older standing than has hitherto been 

 believed. In this connection the fact that the group to which the 

 genus Phlaeophagus belongs includes what the entomologists regard 

 as the most ancient surviving forms of the Coleoptera may not 

 be without significance. 



Stangekia, sp. 

 (Plate VIII., figs. 2, 3.) 



Among the grasses of the park-formation on the tops and upper 

 slopes of the ridges near East London is found a species of Stangeria. 

 Its distribution is very local, but where it does occur it is present in 

 considerable numbers. It is present also, but sparingly, in the 

 neighbouring bush. This form occurs also in the open country at 

 Kentani (Miss Pegler), and as far west as Port Elizabeth (Battray). 

 It differs from S. paradoxa of the Botanical Magazine (t.- 5121), 

 which in Cape Colony seems to be confined to the forest, though 



* At present I know of no published record of this observation. I am indebted 

 to Professor D. H. Campbell for the information. 



i A large number of ovules removed at random from a cone of E. Altensteinii, 

 from Amalinda, near East London, were dissected and the pollen-chambers 

 fixed. Nearly all this material has been examined, and, so far, every ovule has 

 proved to be pollinated. 



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