Observations on the Vascular System of the 
Female ‘Flowers' of Coniferae 1 . 
BY 
W. C. WORSDELL, F.L.S. 
With Plate XXVII. 
T HESE observations were made in order to determine 
whether a careful study of the course and structure of 
the vascular bundles would throw any light upon the vexed 
problem as to the nature of the female ‘ flower ’ in this order. 
While some interesting features have been brought out, 
but little new light, I have found, has been thrown on the 
question at issue as the result of these investigations. But 
this is only what might be anticipated, for the anatomy alone 
must necessarily be utterly inadequate to solve such a pro- 
found problem as the one before us 2 . 
Araucarieae. 
Araucaria Cookii , R. Br. 
A single bundle leaves the central cylinder of the axis of 
the cone, and runs obliquely upwards through a great many 
1 From the Jodrell Laboratory, Royal Gardens, Kew. 
2 A general discussion, from an historical point of view, of the question of floral 
morphology in Coniferae will be given in a forthcoming paper, together with full 
references to the literature. 
[Annals of Botany, Vol. XIII. No. 4 LII. December, 1899.] 
