No. 454-] ^-i.VATOMV OF THE CONIFER A l.K 



in the sporophyte. They serve to sug<;c; 

 mutation as jM-oposed by l.)e Vries finds expi 



nal forms. Such cases as Scijiioia o-io-antoi 

 cysts in the wood of the first year and i 

 replaced later by resin cells. a])pear to us 

 and vi<rorous <,a-owth in general, and there f< 

 of the first year, constitutes a transitional 

 many changes of structure wholly apart Iron 

 may arise : and such a law would similarly I 

 wood of peduncles. This feature is manifes 

 of the medullary ray, the character of the tr 



spiral tracheids, and in all probability also 



. passages i 



and Abie; 



Changes of this nature are to be regarded i 

 development in the direction of higher type;- 

 whereby potentialities assume a more or less 

 iM-om this it may be assumed that the primary 

 a zone within which sporadic characters are c;o 

 only in the later rings that the various anaton 

 become permanently developed and pro])erly exp 

 features of structure and development. 



This view is justified not only by observed 

 analogy which shows that as plants ascend m 

 exhibit sporadic characters or "sports " as tendei 

 development of otherwise potential charactei >. 

 in complexity such tendencies become manitc^le 

 alterations of external form but with resi)ect to ] 

 of structure and development. We there! ore 

 compelled to conclude that the developnu-nt ot 

 resin passages from resin cells, and the orcuirm 

 in the Coniferales, shows that all of the..e structi 

 in the development of higher types ol plants, i 

 for us to accept the statement of Jeffrey that 

 sages represent primitive structures and aic 

 survivals. 



Returning to the question of the traumatic 



