System of the Female ‘ Flowers' of Coni ferae. 539 
latter bundle was perceived in the near neighbourhood of 
a bundle of the cylinder and evidently situated just at the 
side of the latter, as the two were observed in different foci. 
In a transverse section of the very base of the appendage, 
where it is quite free from the axis, the bract-bundle (which 
itself is exceedingly small compared with the entire size of the 
appendage) and the bundle of the sporangium are both dis- 
tinguished, the latter with inverted orientation and closely 
approximated to the former. This sporangium-bundle con- 
sists of a small group of well-staining tracheides with, possibly, 
rudimentary protoxylem ; its phloem is absent or extremely 
rudimentary (Fig. 13). The bract-bundle is normal in its 
parts. At a higher level, the smaller sporangium-bundle 
increases in size and possesses a small, rudimentary phloem- 
group. During their upward course the two bundles are here 
and there mutually connected by means of some primary 
centrifugal tracheides which pass round the protoxylem and 
unite between the two bundles. 
The sporangium-bundle appears, in fact, to be undergoing 
gradual obliteration, as shown by its appearance at the base 
of the appendage and in the axis. Thus, although this 
bundle is continuous 'into the sporangium, the bract-bundle 
in all probability performs the greater part of the conduction : 
hence arises the need for union of the two at various points. 
At the level where the smaller bundle deserts the bract- 
bundle to pass into the sporangium, the phloem of the former 
consists of but three or four insignificant cells (Fig. 14). 
In the upper part of the bract, in the region of the palisade- 
tissue, there is a large and very broad mucilage-sac extending 
along the dorsal side of the bundle, and of about twice the 
radial width of the latter (Fig. 12). On the ventral side, 
between the tips of the bract and the outer integument of the 
sporangium, occurs a curious hump-like projection, giving 
a peculiar shape to the bract as seen in radial section. The 
laminar portion of the bract, above the insertion of the 
sporangium, is extremely short and rudimentary. 
The bract-bundle, as far as the insertion of the sporangium, 
