of Marattia Douglasii, Baker . 13 
indicate that from the cell x , segments were cut off in regular 
succession. In other cases, however (see Fig. 31), such 
regularity is not apparent, and two initials ( x - x ) can be seen. 
Unfortunately so few of the very young embryos were found 
that it cannot be stated now what is the condition in the 
earlier stages, but it is not impossible that sometimes, at least, 
one of the primary octants persists as the apical cell of the 
stem of the young plant. In Angiopteris , Farmer could not 
detect a single initial for the stem in the young plant, and 
Bower 1 describes a group of initials in the stem-apex of the 
older plant in his later publication, although attributing 
but a single one in his first investigation 2 of the plant. 
The Root. 
In the root there seems to be much the same variation that 
exists in the stem. Here again my observations were of 
necessity confined mainly to a study of the older embryos. 
Here there is, usually at least, but one initial cell, as in other 
ferns, but it is very variable in form. There seems no reason 
to doubt that, as in these, it can be traced back to one of the 
primary hypobasal octants. In Angiopteris , Farmer found in 
the very young embryos a regular triangular apical cell, and 
very likely such a one exists in Marattia also, but none of 
my preparations of the younger embryos were cut so as to 
show this. An approach to this was seen in transverse 
sections (Fig. 41) where three sets of lateral segments could 
be made out ; but in longitudinal sections, the initial cell 
appeared usually more or less regularly four-sided, and in the 
case shown in Figs. 42-44, although the cross-section of the 
apical cell appears nearly triangular, a section further down 
shows unmistakably that there are four sets of lateral 
segments. The segments are larger and the divisions show 
much less regularity than is found in the leptosporangiate 
1 Bower, Comparative examination of the meristems of ferns, Ann. Bot. Ill, 
PP- 324 . 325 - 
2 Bower, Comparative morphology of the leaf, See., p. 579 : Phil. Trans., 
Royal Society, 1884. 
