Female Strobilus in Podocarpns . 
545 
tissue. In Fig. 31 a the lower bracts have been dissected off, exposing two 
bracts, one fertile, of which the laminae begin to show marked contraction 
and the bases are swelling up. In Fig. 31 b the micropyle of the ovule can 
be seen. In Fig. 32 the ovule is well above the bracts ; there is more 
swelling in both the latter, with greater contraction of the laminae (Fig. 33, 
lam. and br . bs.). This would be approximately the dividing macrospore 
stage. 
In Fig. 33 the embryo shows cotyledons differentiating. The unmodi- 
fied lower bracts have expanded, and in most cases were already shed. 
The bract laminae are reduced to points, while the bases have swollen 
enormously. The structure of these bases is essentially the same as 
described in § DACRYCARPUS. The tissue shows the same uniform cells 
with colourless contents, freely interspersed with tannin cells, especially 
(PI. LIII, Fig. 79) round the periphery. The increase in size is due to 
the proliferation of the mesophyll tissue cells, which with very thin walls 
and no cell contents suggest a water-storage function ; the fact, too, of the very 
early development of this tissue points to some provision for the wants of the 
growing ovule, which in its isolated position is rather remote from the 
supplies of the sporophyte. The increase in this tissue, which characterizes 
the Eupodocarps, may be possibly correlated with the absence of scale 
leaves on the peduncle. 
In § DACRYCARPUS, where the scale leaves are present, this tissue is re- 
duced (PI. XLIX, Figs. 4 and 12). In § STACHYCARPUS, where, though fused 
for their whole length to the peduncle, the bract bases do not swell up (PI. L, 
Fig. 28), the provision in the younger stages is much better, as the bracts 
then are more numerous and more specialized, each is of fleshy consistency, 
larger scale leaves support the base of the strobilus, and these merge into the 
smaller and more densely imbricating scale leaves which clothe the peduncle. 
Histology. It is interesting to compare a photomicrograph of the 
homogeneous nucellus, which would be represented in Fig. 31 and PI. LIII, 
Fig. 79 of P.elata , with Fig. 7 6 of a slightly younger stage of P . ferruginea, 
in § STACHYCARPUS, as the different development of the bract bases, also 
variation in form of the ovuliferous scale in each section, can then be better 
appreciated. 
Fig. 79 is a radial section and shows well the foliar structure of the 
scale, from which, as far as seen in Eupodocarpns , hypodermal fibres are 
absent, both from the ovuliferous scales and the foliage leaves. The beginning 
of the nutritive starch and tannin zones is present at the base of the 
integument and nucellus. This section also shows how distinct the organiza- 
tion of the ovuliferous scale is from that of the fertile bract, the former 
having no vascular connexion with the lamina or so-called 4 carpel 
In Fig. 79 the base of the ovuliferous scale is distinct and forms 
an integral portion of the strobilus, being pressed between the bract bases 
and fused with them. In the series of sections of the strobilus the three 
