94 A LABORATORY MANUAL OF BOTANY 
the long sporangia, and the flap-like projection that was 
seen in the surface view of the cone. 
Tear open the sporangia, mount, study, and draw some 
of the spores. Note the peculiar wings on each spore. 
What is the function of these wings? Can you approximate 
the number of spores formed in one cone? 
The spores are frequently called pollen-grains or micro- 
spores, and the sporangia pollen-sacs. 
b. The other cone, when fully formed, is very much more 
prominent than the staminate cone, and its sporophylls are 
very much larger and stronger. Usually at the time the 
pollen-grains are ripe there may be found cones of three ages 
—very young ones, which are not so large as staminate 
cones, one-year-old cones, and the two-year-old cones. 
Study one-year-old cones first. Draw, showing the general 
structure and arrangement of sporophylls. Remove some 
of the sporophylls and note how they are held together. 
On the upper surface and near the axils of some of them 
will be seen the sporangia, frequently called ovules. By use 
of the hand lens an opening at the lower end of the sporan- 
gium can be seen. Draw, showing sporangia on the sporo- 
phyll. The sporophyll which bears the large sporangium 
is frequently called a carpel or pistil, and the cone the 
carpellate or pistillate cone. 
The spore is formed within the sporangium and is never 
set free. It germinates and forms the gametophyte, which 
develops the egg entirely enclosed within the ovule (sporan- 
gium). It is evident that this egg is deeply embedded in 
the ovule and presents problems for fertilization not met 
among the Pteridophytes. 
The pollen-grains fall upon the very young carpellate 
cones, and many of them fall in between the carpels or 
sporophylls. This happens while the carpellate cones are 
smaller than the staminate cones. The pollen-grains are 
thus brought to the lower end of the ovule, and this transfer 
