THE MORPHOLOGY AND AFFINITIES OF GNETUM 1 53 
fact while there are only three or four rows of cells between the spo- 
rogenous tissue and the epidermis. Figure 23 represents a case in 
which one mother cell is dividing while the one beside it remains 
undivided. In figure 24 the two deeper lying cells have divided once 
and the more superficial cell has remained undivided. In figure 25 
are represented the products of two mother cells. At the left is a 
linear row of three cells showing that one daughter cell only has 
divided to form megaspores. At the right are three similar cells the 
lowermost of which (megaspore) has divided and produced a four 
nucleated embryo-sac. In general the outer daughter cell of the 
first division fails to divide again. So far as I have observed it is 
always the deepest megaspore which functions. Invariably two and 
frequently three mother cells produce megaspores. In case one does 
not divide it is always the outermost. Usually a megaspore from 
each mother cell which divides develops into an embryo-sac. For 
this reason there are almost always more than one embryo-sac in a 
mature ovule, usually a large central one and one or two smaller ones 
at its outer end. 
2. Abortive Megasporangia. — It will be recalled that in every 
staminate strobilus there is a ring of abortive ovulate flowers above 
each set of staminate flowers. It has been reported (Lotsy, 19) that 
these flowers occasionally produce fruit and this statement I can 
confirm. It is my observation that while the great majority of 
staminate trees never produce fruit from these ovules an occasional 
tree will produce large numbers. If one finds fruit developing in a 
staminate strobilus one is almost certain to find many other examples 
on the same tree. It seems therefore to be a definite tendency, 
probably inherited, in certain trees and not an occasional event on 
any tree. Of course the axis of the strobilus becomes much stronger 
and thicker than it otherwise would. Frequently the axis is unable 
to develop strength enough to nourish these abnormal fruits for often 
I have seen staminate strobili with several half developed fruits be- 
coming yellow and sickly. Though very few of the ovules in staminate 
strobili produce fruit a good many of them develop embryo-sacs 
which appear to be of the usual type. Figure 27 shows a transverse 
section of an abortive ovule with the embryo-sac in the free nucleate 
condition. 
It is always stated that these flowers differ from the typical flowers 
of the ovulate inflorescence in that they have only two envelopes. 
