56 Worsdell .— The StructiLre of the 
to be of the nature of a flattened axis bearing rudimentary 
leaves, or more definitely stated, a disk , chiefly on account 
of its late development compared with that of the ovules. 
Confronted by the abnormal appearance of the axillary shoot 
in the axil of the bract, accompanied by the splitting up of 
the seminiferous scale into two parts, which became trans¬ 
versely seated on the axillary shoot as its two first leaves, 
he regarded this metamorphosis of the seminiferous scale 
merely as the result of the struggle waged between two 
opposing forces, viz. the vegetative development of the cone 
and the normal formation of reproductive organs, in which 
the former had for the time being overbalanced the latter. 
The fleshy, outer envelope of Taxus, &c., he also regarded 
as possessing a discoid character. 
Next are to be mentioned some most striking abnormalities 
in cones of Picea excelsa , Link, observed by both Stenzel (84) 
and Willkomm (86). The former, in 1876, described a cone 
in which in the axil of the bract a leafy bud arose, whose 
first two leaves were harder and browner and more erect 
than those of the ordinary vegetative shoot, and resembled 
more the seminiferous scale; they were directed somewhat 
towards the axis; the following pair of leaves were median, 
anterior and posterior (Fig. 3). No ovules were to be seen. 
The pair of larger first leaves were often fused with the small 
leaves of the bud. He concludes that ‘the seminiferous 
scale of the Spruces consists of the first two leaves of an 
otherwise undeveloped branch arising in the axil of the bract, 
these leaves being fused by their posterior margins, and thus 
having their dorsal side directed towards the axis of the cone y 
and bearing each on this side an ovule. When the semi¬ 
niferous scales fuse by their anterior margins, it is to be 
considered as an exceptional case, like that of Ferns with 
sori on the upper surface of the fronds.’ 
On another occasion he found, in the same plant, andro¬ 
gynous cones, in which the male organs usually occupied 
the base and the female the upper part; more rarely were 
the male scattered amongst the female ; and still more rarely 
