‘ Flowers' of Cep halo taxtis. 647 
inflorescence occurred on the axillary products of both bracts 
of the first pair, and in each case appeared as the first two 
leaves of the vegetative bud representing the proliferation 
of the floral axis, which is subtended by each bract (Fig. 13). 
From their position and appearance, there could be no doubt 
as to their representing metamorphosed ovules in all the cases 
in which I observed them. This is a matter of the first 
importance. If the two ovules are, in reality, as appears from 
these abnormal cases, foliar organs belonging to the short 
axillary axis, the theory of Eichler and Strasburger that each 
ovule represents an axis in itself of which the foliar organs 
situated below the terminal ovule are suppressed, entirely 
breaks down, and the view of Celakovsk^- receives additional 
support. 
Sometimes the two lateral ovules are present in the form 
of foliar organs, while between them, in the median position, 
occur either one or two ovules representing the next succeed- 
ing pair (Figs. 12, 20-22). The presence of all four ovules, 
two in each pair, such as has been not infrequently observed 
in Ginkgo 1 , never came under my notice in the flowers 
I examined. We here see the opposite-decussate arrange- 
ment of the bracts on the primary axis of the inflorescence 
reappearing in that of the ovules and foliar organs on the 
secondary floral axes. 
In one case which I observed, the flower consisted of the 
first lateral pair of foliar organs and a median pair, of which 
the posterior was developed as an ovule, and the anterior as 
a foliar organ, although of excessive minuteness (Figs. 23 
and 24). Another flower exhibited a pair of lateral ovules 
and a median pair of organs, of which, conversely to the case 
just cited, the anterior was developed as an ovule and the 
posterior as a foliar organ (Fig. 25). In another flower, 
besides the lateral ovules, a pair of median organs of purely 
foliar nature was present (Fig. 19). In another, the median 
1 Strasburger, loc. cit., PI. IX, Fig. n, 1879. Celakovsky, { Die Vermehrung der 
Sporangien von Ginkgo biloba L.’ Fig. ia, Oesterr. Bot. Zeitschr., Jahrg. 1900, 
Nos. 7, 8, and 9. 
