56 x 
Female Sir obi lus in Podocarpus . 
§ EUPODOCARPUS offers the greatest extreme In the reduction of the 
strobilus in the genus, from the point of view of number of members, but 
the cone-like organization is nevertheless obvious in the young stages. 
The peduncle is naked, and the bracts of the strobilus may be re- 
duced to two. In some species the two lower retain the strap-like 
unmodified form we get in § STACHYCARPUS, and are merely protective 
in the young stages, being subsequently shed as in that section. In 
P. spinulosa ( 40 , p. 77) the bases often swell up like those of the upper 
bracts. In other species they are finally eliminated altogether. 
The upper bracts, of which one or two are fertile, are unmodified 
and protective in the young stage, but their bases soon swell and become 
coloured as in § Dacrycarpus ; the laminae, however, do not persist, as 
in that section, but become entirely merged in the basal swelling, all 
subsequent development being arrested. 
The secondary swelling and coloration of the bract bases in some 
cases Is already present in the pre-fertilization stage ; Its presence can 
therefore be of no use to the plant in the dissemination of seeds, as stated 
by Pilger, but is probably correlated with ovular development by serving 
as water-storage tissue. 
The ovuliferous scale is well protected by the sterile bracts In the 
young stages, but gradually rises above them until, on pollination, the 
lamina of the fertile bract alone encircles the base as a ring, remaining 
stationary in development. The ovuliferous scale takes on not only the 
whole protective covering of the ovule, but by the early and complete 
organization of its metabolic activities supplies the material for the 
development of the ovule as well. 
Judging from the stages obtained in the material collected, develop- 
ment occurs In the early spring. In Fiji this season is in August and 
September, and material collected in those months showed pollination and 
young embryo stages. In New Zealand at the same season, in September 
and October in the North Island, P. ferruginea and P. Totara showed 
pollination and post-pollination stages and pre-fertilization. In the South 
Island, at Mount Cook, at an altitude of 2,500 ft, P. nivalis showed pollina- 
tion to young embryo stages in December and January, while further south, 
at Glade House In March or autumn, P. Hallii was found In the embryo 
stage. 
At Buitenzorg, enlarging megaspore and pre-fertilization stages were 
found associated In December, and on other trees embryos, mature and 
immature, were also collected. 
As is the case with the Abietineae, last year’s cones were generally 
found concurrently on the old wood with those developed on this year’s 
wood above them. 
There is a very marked uniformity in the stages of development of the 
