55 2 Takeda . — Morphology of the Bracts in Welwitschia. 
The vascular bundles are collateral and normally orientated. They 
are, particularly in the exposed portion of the bract, completely surrounded 
by a mass of water-storing tracheides, as in the leaf. 
From the facts above mentioned it is to be seen that the bracts are 
perfectly homologous with the vegetative leaf. It is also to be seen that the 
cone-bracts are bracts in the strict sense, in the axil of which the ‘ flower ’ is 
borne. Sykes 1 is inclined to regard the bract as a sporophyll. This 
hypothesis is, however, open to the objection that the structure is too highly 
differentiated tor a sporophyll of such an advanced member of the Gymno- 
sperms. Moreover, the ‘ flower 5 is, without doubt, cauline. Each cone 
is therefore a compound one. 
I may perhaps emphasize here the connate character of the bract, 
which is one of the important diagnostic features of the Gnetales. The 
connate leaf-base so universal in the Gnetales has already been pointed out 
in my former paper . 2 The homology of the inflorescences of the three genera 
of the Gnetales becomes easily intelligible, if this character is taken into 
consideration. Hooker 3 has already noticed the resemblance of the female 
cones of Welwitschia and of Ephedra , particularly in the bracts, on account 
of the paired bundles, the presence of stomata, and so forth. He, however, 
seems to have failed in finding connate bracts in Welwitschia. This 
difficulty is easily overcome, if one examines the male cone closely. Even 
in the female cone the few basal pairs are connate. 
The connate character would probably help us to interpret the peculiar 
tubular structure of the stamens in Welwitschia as a fused base of two 
groups of male sporophylls. 
In conclusion, I tender my sincere thanks to Professor Farmer for his 
kindly criticism. 
EXPLANATIONS OF PLATE XLI. 
Illustrating Mr. Takeda’s paper on the Bracts in Welwitschia. 
All figures were drawn faithfully by the aid of Abba’s drawing apparatus. 
Fig. i. Transverse section of a vascular bundle of the male cone-bract, taken from the middle 
portion of the latter, x 285. c.j. — conjunctive parenchyma; w.t. — water-storing tracheides. 
Fig. 2. Epidermis with stomata and a portion of chlorenchyma (from a transverse section of 
a male cone-bract), x 285. Cell contents are not shown. 
Fig. 3. A portion of a longitudinal section of the male cone-bract (near the apex), x 285. 
Cell contents are not represented. St. = stoma ; Sp. = spicular cell. 
Fig. 4. Epidermis and chlorenchyma of the bract at the node of the male inflorescence, x 285. 
Sc. = spicular cell. 
Fig. 5. Transverse section or a vascular bundle of the same bract (taken from the middle portion 
of the bract), x 285. f — sclerenchymatous fibres with unlignified walls. 
Fig. 6. A portion of a longitudinal section of two protoxylem elements of the female cone- 
bract. x 950. Spiral vessel on the right, and annular vessel on the left. 
1 1. c., pp. 219, 221. 2 1. c. 3 1. c., p. 25. 
