469 
Stiles. — The Podocarpeae. 
supply of Saxegothaea , where, however, the insertion is higher up the scale. 
Occasionally, in D. Franklini , one of the ovular supply bundles attaches 
itself to a bundle of the cone axis other than its own sporophyll bundle. 
ii. D. cupressinum. In this species the fertile branch terminates in a 
few spirally arranged scales, the uppermost of which bears a single ovule. 
A case was observed in which there were two fertile sporophylls on the 
branch. The scales differ but little from the foliage leaves ; they are some- 
what shorter and are lanceolate rather than linear, the transition from the 
linear foliage leaf to the lanceolate fertile sporophyll being gradual. 
On the upper surface of the sporophyll and near its base is borne an 
outgrowth which arches over the ovule in the form of a hood (Text-fig. 8 ,f). 
This is the epimatium, and the solitary ovule is borne on this and not on 
the scale itself as in Dacrydium Franklini. Owing to lack of material the 
position of the ovule in the very young state cannot be recorded. 
The ovule itself is rather remarkable. The nucellus is a conical 
structure, and is completely surrounded by a very remarkable inner integu- 
ment. This consists of four distinct layers : a single outer layer of scleren- 
chymatous cells forming a kind of epidermis ; inside this a layer of 
anticlinally elongated cells filled with a brown tannin-like substance; a mass 
of very thick-walled cells inside this, which diminishes regularly in thickness 
from the micropyle towards the chalaza ; and, finally, on the nucellus side 
there is a region of parenchymatous cells, which increases in thickness as the 
sclerenchymatous layer diminishes. The micropyle in the stage examined 
consisted of a very narrow tube, but this was after pollination. 
The epimatium is a much larger structure than in the species already 
described, and, as has been already indicated, bears the ovule on its upper 
surface, the latter being inserted a short distance above the junction of 
megasporophyll and epimatium. The latter, like the inner integument, 
contains a good deal of sclerenchyma. As in Saxegothaea , Microcachrys , 
and Dacrydium Franklini , it only partially encloses the ovule. It is, 
however, not pressed closely against the inner integument as in those 
species, and in a longitudinal section through the ‘ strobilus * reminds one 
of the ovuliferous scale of Pinus rather than of a Podocarpean epimatium. 
There can, however, be no doubt of its homology with the latter. 
The vascular system of the cone scale and axis in D. cupressinum is 
similar to that of D. Franklini. The axis below the insertion of the fertile 
sporophyll contains a small ring of about three vascular bundles, each with 
a resin canal on its outer side. One bundle of the ring divides into three 
bundles, the lateral ones bending round so as to lie side by side on the 
inside of the median bundle. Each of these bundles is provided with a 
resin canal. The group of three passes into the sporophyll, and the two 
upper ones then pass into the epimatium and terminate at the base of the 
ovule. 
