122 G. R. Wieland — Cycadeoidean Flower bud Structure. 



With respect to the floral structures of the type of C. colos- 

 salis, we are as yet largely in ignorance, but as noted there is 

 some indication that these also will be found of essentially the 

 type here described. Just as in the case of the Yale trunk 

 fragment and the isolated fruit now considered, the flower 

 buds are of slightly lesser size than in C. dacotensis, but have 

 an enormous development of the bracts, the outer of which 

 even closely approach in size the relatively small leaf bases. 

 It is, therefore, with considerable confidence that future closer 

 study may fully justify my provisional reference of these Yale 

 Museum specimens to Gycadeoidea colossalis, that I now go on 

 to the description of their very singular floral features. 



Description of Structure. 



The preservation of structures as indicated by the sections 

 so far cut from the above mentioned isolated bisporangiate 



Fig. 1. 



Figure 1. Cycadeoidea colosscdis. — Trial transverse section through iso- 

 lated bisporangiate flower bud, surrounded by a thick husk of heavy hairy 

 bracts and retaining still attached a single one of the leaf bases from between 

 which the fruits emerge. 



The section passes above the central ovulate cone, and cuts the sterile 

 prolongations of the ten rachides into which the staminate disk divides. 

 This figure is copied directly from an enlarged photograph and here 

 reduced to about natural size. 



axis is very uneven, but yields the details affording the restora- 

 tion given in figures 2-7. An attached leaf base, however, 

 very fortunately shows remarkably fine preservation of struc- 

 ture, some of the bundles clearly showing all details and 

 possessing more development of enveloping sclerenchyma 

 than has been seen in any other American specimen. Also an 

 occasional bract is well conserved, and the appearance of the 

 material from which supplementary sections remain to be cut, 



