no6 Thoday.— The Female Inflorescence and Ovules of 
In the simplest case 1 examined (Text-fig. 2, right-hand side), a ring 
of bract bundles (b) arose from the main axial bundles (m) and passed out 
into the cupule, first running upwards and then turning sharply downwards. 
During their outward course two series of bundles were given off, the outer 
of which (ob) was orientated in the same way as the main bundles and 
supplied the lower half of the ovular bases, and the inner of which was 
inversely orientated (biv), running up higher into the cortex of the main 
axis and then turning outwards to supply the upper half of the ovular base. 
The inverse series arises from the bract bundles at some distance from 
the main bundles and is never closely attached to the latter as it is in 
G.africanum (Text-fig. 4). 
In a rather older node of G. scandens, the inverse series (Text-fig. 2, BIV, 
left-hand side) receives further contributions (om and Miv) from the bundles 
of the main axis, some of which become more or less inversely concentric. 2 
Text-fig. 2. Course of bundles in female inflorescence of G. scandens. The right-hand side 
represents a somewhat younger ovule than the left. M = bundles of main axis ; B = supply of bract 
cupule; OB = outer series of bundles supplying ovule and arising from b ; biv = inner series of 
inversely orientated bundles arising from B and supplying ovule; Miv and OM = bundles arising 
from main bundles and augmenting the inverse series supplying ovule. (Black lines = phloem ; 
stroked lines = xylem.) 
It is probable that in older inflorescences than are found among my material 
a more complicated structure approaching that seen in G . africanum 
would be developed. 
In the male inflorescence of G. scandens all the cases examined had 
a simple arrangement similar in essentials to that shown on the right-hand 
side of Text-fig. 1. Numerous bundles supply the bract cupules as in the 
female inflorescence, and from them arise an outer series of bundles, mostly 
concentric, which give off branches to the stamens and then supply some of 
the abortive ovules ; 3 and also, nearer the main bundles, an inner inversely 
orientated series which also supplies both stamens and ovules. As the 
bundles divide to form staminal and ovular traces, an anastomosing ring 
is formed such as is shown in the photograph in Fig. 17, PL LXXXVII. 
The stamens each receive a simple concentric bundle, 4 the abortive ovules a 
little ring of bundles. 
1 Strasburger, 1879, PP* 116-18, Figs.'15-23, Taf. XXI. 
2 See Sykes, on Welwitschia , 1910 (1), p. 192. 
3 As described by Strasburger, 1879, P* 106, and Taf. XXV, Figs. 65 and 67. 
4 Cf. Welwitschia stamens and Be 7 inettites ovules, Worsdell, 1901, p. 763, and Sykes, 1901 
COi P- 187- 
