Lycopodium complanatuni and Lycopodium clavaium . 221 
more absorptive surface. Series of transverse sections were made through the 
foot of both sporophytes of L. complanatuni. Those of the older sporophyte, 
which were stained with iodine green and Bismarck brown, showed more 
clearly the rather thin-walled lignified cells which are connected with the 
‘ protective sheath ’ of the stem and root than did the sections of the foot 
of the younger sporophyte, which were stained with haematoxylin and 
saffranin. Proceeding upwards from the base of the foot, the first appear- 
ance of bonification of the cell walls is shown in the centre of the foot, 
where about half a dozen cells took the iodine green stain. The area of 
this patch increases gradually, the cells appearing more or less uniform, 
with pitted lignified walls, until about twenty to thirty cells are included ; 
then the lignification of the walls of the central cells becomes less and less 
until a distinct core of small thin-walled unlignified cells appear in the 
centre. A little higher up a tracheide appears a little 
to one side of this central patch (see /, PI. XXII, 
Fig. 12), and soon more tracheides are formed, until 
a bow-shaped group parallel with the periphery 
occurs (see PL XXII, Fig. 13). Diagram 1 
(Figs. 1-6) shows the further changes in the ar- 
rangement of the xylem of this vascular strand in 
the foot region of the older sporophyte of L. com - 
planatum . It will be seen that three or four small 
groups of tracheides make their appearance in ad- 
dition to the main group, but they vary in position, 
size, and number in the two sporophytes. There is, 
however, a tendency towards concentration of the 
xylems to form a somewhat crescent or hook-shaped 
mass of xylem (see Diagram 1, Figs. 4, 5, 6 , 7, 8, 
and 9) ; from this, three strands, 1, 2, 3 (Figs. 9, 10, 
and 11), pass off to the first root, and in the case of 
the older sporophyte run in an upward direction, making an acute angle 
with the stele of the stem, and then turn at right angles to the main stem 
(see Diagram 1, Figs. 3-12). In Fig. 12 it will be seen that two of the 
three strands have fused in the root. 
In the younger sporophyte of L. complanatuni the three xylem strands 
belonging to the root do not take an upward course, but pass off 
immediately at right angles to the stem (see Diagram 2). 
In the young sporophytes of L. clavatum no vascular strand was 
observed in the foot. The smaller one showed two groups of xylem with 
a single strand of phloem throughout the root, but immediately above the 
foot, large vessels connected the two groups, separating the phloem into 
two portions, and very soon three groups of xylem separated out, the 
phloem between joining up and forming a three-rayed star. The older 
R 2 
Diagram 2. A dia- 
grammatic sketch of a longi- 
tudinal section through the 
foot region of the young 
sporophyte of L. complana- 
tuni (see PI. XXII, Fig. 1) 
showing the course of the 
vascular strands, st, base of 
stem ; r, root ; f, foot ; e, 
protective sheath ; xy, xylem 
strands. 
