128 Seward and Gowan .— The Maidenhair 
distance below the ovules (1-2 mm.) one pair of bundles 
unites (Fig. 23), and at a slightly higher level the remaining 
pair become fused into a single strand. Large canals traverse 
the ground-tissue of the peduncle, and transfusion-tracheids, 
which increase in number in the neighbourhood of the ovules, 
occur in association with the bundles of the flower-stalk. 
PI. IX, Figs. 2 and 3, 11-14. Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate an 
abnormal form of flower in which the peduncle bears three 
stalked ovules and a lateral unexpanded bud, b 3 seen in side 
view in Fig. 3. Near the base of the peduncle (Fig. 11) 
there are two pairs of bundles and one larger separate vascular 
strand, five in all; at a higher level the bundles are disposed 
as three pairs, and a new smaller bundle (Fig. 12, a) is inserted 
between two of the pairs. Each vascular strand contains one 
or two centripetal tracheids, and some transfusion-elements 
are present. A second additional bundle -is met with at a 
still higher level (Fig. 13), the centre of the axis being now 
occupied by a secretory canal, c. Still higher, we find that 
the first additional bundle has become elongated tangentially, 
and is accompanied by numerous transfusion-tracheids and 
some centripetal xylem-elements; both of the additional 
bundles have moved nearer the centre of the peduncle. 
Fig. 14 shows the arrangement of the tissue at a higher 
level; the additional bundles form a broken ring surrounding 
the central canal, c, and these strands supply the lateral bud. 
Each of the three pairs of peripheral bundles passes into an 
ovuliferous stalk where the double strand unites into an arc¬ 
shaped bundle. The lateral bud (b, Figs. 2 and 3) shows 
three small protuberances, which in section present the ap¬ 
pearance of rudimentary ovules. 
PI. IX, Figs. 1 and 5. In the first example (Fig. 1) the 
stout peduncle of a female flower bears five ovuliferous stalks, 
each of which is traversed by a pair of bundles. P"ig. 5 
represents a peduncle bearing two sessile lateral ovules at the 
apex, and at a lower level three small ovules on slender 
pedicels. 
