54i 
Female Strobilus in Podocarpus. 
contraction has taken place that the tissue is folded in and out, the out- 
lines being traced by the megaspore membrane, which follows the folds 
(Fig- 75)- 
Of the two microphotographs of longitudinal sections given, Fig. 75 is 
older than Fig. 74, which shows the same stage as PI. L, Fig. 22. 
P. ferruginea. 
Morphology. P. ferruginea , or Miro, is a very handsome New 
Zealand tree, which with P. dacrydioides forms an exception amongst the 
Podocarps of that country in not suggesting the Yew in foliage and a- 
symmetrical habit. 
The branches of this tree are not crowded and recall P. vitiensis in 
their rather horizontal spreading, and light green and shining leaves, with 
distichous arrangement. The fruit is also the same colour. 
Cheeseman (14, p. 650) gives it as abundant throughout the country, 
the wood hard and compact, but not durable in exposed situations. 
The strobili are borne on the apex of small lateral peduncles which 
arise in the axils of the lower foliage leaves of this year’s wood (Fig. 24, 
ped . strob.), and as in P. imbricata , last year’s ovules, in the pre-fertilization 
stage, and this year’s with a homogeneous nucellus and dividing macro- 
spore stage, were obtained on the same tree. 
The lower portion of the peduncle of the strobilus is densely covered 
with imbricating scale leaves in the youngest stages, as in P. vitiensis 
(Fig. 27, s. /.). These scale leaves gradually pass into the bracts of the 
strobilus. The strobilus terminates the apex of the peduncle and is com- 
posed, as far as could be determined, of six to eight bracts of fleshy 
consistency, arranged in a decussate manner, with the bases fused with 
the axis, and with expanded laminae. One of the terminal pairs of bracts 
(Fig. 2 7,/. br.) or both (P'ig. 28) are fertile. 
The laminae of these bracts do not persist as long as in P. vitiensis , but 
soon fall off, including even the lamina of the fertile bract, leaving only 
cicatrized scars (Fig. 29, scar lam. f. br.), but the scale leaves of the peduncle 
persist. 
Pilger (40, p. 14) emphasizes the spiral sequence of the bracts or 
‘ carpels ’ in § Stachycarpus in comparison to their opposite and decussate 
position throughout the Eupodocarps, but the tendency is really the same 
in both cases, viz. an opposite and decussate arrangement due to economy 
in packing, in the youngest stages, which is gradually lost sight of on the 
elongation of the axis when the spiral phyllotaxy of the leaves come into 
play as the permanent arrangement. 
These bracts surround and protect the fertile ones in the young state 
(Fig. 25, br.), expanding and reflexing later (Fig. 27, s. brs.). The lamina 
of the fertile bract at first covers the ovuliferous scale almost as if it were 
fused with it, as in § DACRYCARPUS. However, in longitudinal section it is 
