Female ‘Flower ’ z/2 Coniferae. 51 
systems of bundles. The uppermost bundles divide up to 
form an arc with inverted orientation, i. e. with their xylem 
directed outwards and downwards ; it is this arc which is 
the system belonging to the seminiferous scale, while the 
lower bundle, with normal orientation, belongs to the bract. 
One of the end-bundles of the arc sends off a strand on 
either side to the ovules. ‘The arrangement of the bundles 
in an arc shows that the axillary organ is a leaf and not 
a branch; the outward orientation of this arc shows that 
this leaf is placed diametrically opposite the bract; its origin 
shows that this leaf belongs to the axillary branch of which 
it is the sole representative, i. e. of which it is the first and 
only appendage. The first leaf bears the ovules on its dorsal 
surface. 
‘In Sequoia , A thro taxis, and probably also Sciadopitys , the 
foliar bundle and the upper bundles remain enclosed in the 
same parenchymatous sheath from the point of their inser¬ 
tion on the axis until near the apex, then the parenchyma 
separates, the two organs become isolated, and whilst the 
bract ends in a “ languette,” the first leaf of the bud continues 
its development, growing a short way beyond the bract. The 
scale is thus double. 
‘ In the Cupressineae, Taxodium and Cryptomeria , the same 
structure obtains, except that the base of the seminiferous 
scale between the ovules and the axis is not elongated at all, 
and thus the ovules are situated at the very base of the scale. 
‘ In Araucarieae, elongation only occurs below the insertion 
of the ovules. In these plants the scale is double, as in 
Sequoia , &c., the two sets of vascular strands being included 
in the same parenchymatous tissue until beyond the point of 
insertion of the ovules. In Araucaria brasiliana there are 
four bundles in the seminiferous scale, each set of two widely 
separated and orientated sideways with their xylem directed 
inwards; opposite the median portion of the ovule they turn 
outwards, and are often concentric in structure, with the 
phloem occupying the centre. In order to form the ovule, 
the seminiferous scale becomes reflexed towards the ventral 
