Observations on the Anatomy of 
Solenostelic F eras. 
I. Loxsoma. 
BY 
D. T. GWYNNE-VAUGHAN, M.A. 
Demonstrator in Botany at the University of Glasgow. 
With Plate III. 
Introduction. 
W HEN the idea of polystelic structure was first enunciated 
by Van Tieghem in 1886 1 i he introduced at the same 
time the word gamostely in order to distinguish that particular 
type of polystelic structure which he regarded as arising by 
the more or less extensive fusion of originally separate steles. 
A small number of large curved plates or even a single closed 
tube may be formed as a result of this supposed fusion, and 
in continuance of this terminology- each of these vascular 
masses is to be called a gamostele. In the second edition of 
his textbook, published in 1891 2 , Van Tieghem offers another 
term, solenostely , as an alternative to gamostely , although he 
himself makes no further use of the suggestion, apparently 
preferring the original term, which he retains in all his 
subsequent works. Nevertheless, for the purposes of this 
1 Sur la Polystelie, Ann. des Sc. Nat. (Bot.), ser. vii, tome iii. 
* Traite de Botanique (2nd ed.), p. 1372. 
[Annals of Botany, Vol. XIV. No. L VII. March, 1901.J 
