The Araucariece, Recent and Extinct. 



163 



of the anthers, are considered to indicate a closer relationship hetween 

 Welwitschia and Gnetum than between Welwitschia and Ephedra. 



Female Flowers. — Observations are recorded on the development of the 

 macrosporangia and macrospores ; the nature of the prothallial tubes is 

 discussed, and the conclusion is that the true interpretation of the extra- 

 ordinary behaviour of the fertile end of the Welwitschia prothallus will be 

 founded upon a comparison with the corresponding portion of the embryo-sac 

 of Gnetmn gnemon. 



The AraucarieoB, Recent and Extinct. 



By A. C. Seward, F.B.S., Fellow of Emmanuel College, and Sibille O. Fokd, 

 formerly Bathurst Student of Newnham College, Cambridge. 



(Beceived November 13, 1905, — Read December 14, 1905.) 

 (Abstract.) 



The paper includes the following sections : — 



I. Introduction. — The work was undertaken primarily with a view to 

 ascertain whether the genera Agatliis and Araucaria exhibit any of those 

 features which are often associated with survivals from the past ; our aim 

 was to obtain an answer to the question : Do the existing Araucarieae afford 

 evidence of primitive characters or do they throw light on the phylogeny of 

 the Araucarian phylum ? 



II. Distribution. — A brief account is given of the present distribution of 

 existing species. Agatliis is for the most part an island type. Araucaria is 

 met with in the same area as that occupied by Agatliis, but occurs also in 

 Chili, S. Brazil, and Bolivia ; the most widely spread species — A. 

 Cunningliamii — extends over an area 900 miles long in Queensland and New 

 South Wales, and is recorded from New Guinea. Five species of the genus 

 have been described from New Caledonia. 



III. Generic Diagnosis and Synonomy of Sjwcies. — In this section an 

 attempt is made to give a concise account of the more striking character- 

 istics of each species with a list of references to descriptions and records of 

 the several types. 



IV. Seedlings. — The seedlings described belong exclusively to the genus 

 Araucaria ; those of A. Bidwillii and A. imlricata, characterised by the 

 swollen food-storing hypocotyl, are described in detail. In one case the stele 



