64 WorsdelL — The Structure and Morphology of the 'Ovule! 
structure like the sporangium of the Vascular Cryptogams, and with an 
emergence , which may arise promiscuously on either a foliar or an axial 
organ. It is to be noted that he founds his morphological views entirely 
on the phenomena of the individual development or ontogeny of the ovule. 
After stating that the funicle and sporangial-stalk, the nucellus and spore- 
capsule, are respectively parallel structures, he goes on to say that ‘the 
integuments of Angiosperms cannot be directly identified with the indusia 
of Ferns, for they arise not from the structure which bears the ovule, but from 
the ovule, thus the sporangium itself, and from the upper margin of the 
funicle.’ ‘ The nucellus is terminal to the funicle ; the integuments, on the 
contrary, are of lateral origin.’ After a careful investigation of certain ovular 
‘ monstrosities ’ in Rumex scutatus and Helenium Hoopesii , A. Gray, he arrived 
at the following conclusions with regard to metamorphosed ovules generally : 
that metamorphoses (sports) are not retrogressive phenomena 1 , ‘ but rather 
the expression of a competitive supplanting of one structure by another. 
In place of generative, vegetative rudiments arise, in accordance with the 
place of origin ; so that, e. g., pinnae are formed as divisions of the carpels 
and buds as prolongations of the floral axis.’ During the process of 
struggle between these two opposing tendencies, transitional forms occur, 
which will vary according as the one or the other tendency gains the upper 
hand. If the phenomena of oolysis were really retrogressive in character 
one would expect to see a cryptogamic sporangium appearing now and again, 
which, however, is never the case. In cases where an emergence appears on 
the surface of the leaflet, he regards the former as representing an entire 
ovule and not merely the nucellus ; nor is the leaflet to be considered as the 
extreme form of the integuments, for he does not believe in the existence, 
v 
as put forward by Celakovsky and others, of a series of transitional forms 
consisting at one extreme of almost normal integuments, and at the other 
of a vegetative leaflet. ‘ Each case must be considered in and for itself 
alone, and represents a compromise which has been arrived at between the 
struggle to form an ovule on the one hand and that to produce a leaflet 
on the other.’ And again he says : ‘ If only a mere emergence is present 
on the leaflet, I regard this as the consequence of the tendency to leaflet- 
formation having early gained the upper hand, and not as the result of a 
reversion of already formed integuments into the leaflet. The hybrid-cases 
observed cannot be regarded as constituting a series of developmental stages 
which must be traversed in order to arrive at the extreme forms.’ 
He agrees with Celakovsky that where buds occur on fully formed 
parts of the carpel these are usually to be regarded as adventitious. But 
from his own standpoint, he must adhere to the view that the ovule may be 
directly supplanted by a vegetative bud. 
1 This has reference to Celakovsky’s earlier view on the subject, which will be introduced in its 
proper place. 
