On the Nature and Origin of 授か called "Cbichl ，， 
(nipple) of Ginkgo biloba, L. 
(Preliminary itote.) 
BY 
Kenjiro Fujii, Rigakushi. 
With P し VIII. 
ぃ Ginkgo biloha: the single living type of the S 泣 Usljurias, stands, 
as we know, alone, a perfect stranger, in the midst of recent vegetable 
forms/'* 
It is a deciduous tree, one of the exceptional cases among conifers. 
Its leaves, being fau ィ haped and dichotomously veined, are closely 
related to those of ferns such as Adiantum. Its clis れ ibution is at present 
limited to Japan and China, and even th が e it is unknown in the 
wild が ate.** ，v 
A few years ago, the formation of its fVuits upon its fo じ age leaves 
was discovered by M. Shirai . 卞 Since then, 1 have observed the later 
stages of development of ovules and also the formation of pollensacs upon 
its foliage leaves. J These facts also remind ns of vascular cryptogams. 
か Solms-Laubach, Fossil Botany. 、 
** Solms-Laubacli が at が in his Fossil Bot.at ヴ "The tre ち unknown in the wild state and 
preserved only in the 呂 roves of Chinese temples, が eras to have been kept from ex け ncjtioii 
by the care of prie がん " But wliat； caused the extinction of the -wild plants of this species, 
which now flourishes in tolerably wide ranges of cUm^ite is a nutter of (い lotion. The two 
thoughts can be sugg が ted here in this r が pecjt. Fh’st, the important pads (endosperm and 
embryo) of り怡 seeds are eat;en by man in large quan け ti が； secon も there may Jiave been 
the exdncjtio 円 of animals that largely feed on the pulpy portions of り le seeds and are 
the chief agenci が for the distr 比 ution of the seed も I have ofFen seen crows hold Ginkgo 
weds between the り- beak も biU whether they actual か feed on the pulpy portions of the seed 
s very doubtfu し At any mt ち U is certain that crows have cont^ribiU.ed ve び lUt]e to the 
distribution oi the が eds of Ginkgo. 
t Vol. V, Page 341. (Japanese). 
主' The ftiorpliological considerations of such formalions of flowers and fruits will be soon 
八 y-. Cashed. 
