Gnetum africanum, 7 vith Notes on Gnetum scandens. 1109 
bundles which enter from the upper part of the ovule and, after passing 
upwards, turn down again to join the inverse series, the bundles of which 
are thus cut twice in these upper sections). Text-fig. 4 is a series of transverse 
sections illustrating this ; the sections are obtained from an older part 
of the inflorescence than that shown in Text-fig. 3, and the pith has become 
hollowed out to a greater extent, only a very small part of the internode 
remaining solid, but the levels of the sections roughly correspond to B, C, 
D, E respectively in Text-fig. 3. The most interesting feature in this series is 
the concentric groups of bundles (xx), outside the main ring, which are 
persistent throughout the internode. At the base of the node these concentric 
groups become involved with the bract bundles and the lower part of the 
f M t 
Text-fig. 5 is from a tan¬ 
gential section of the female 
inflorescence axis, showing the 
ring of bundles destined for a 
single ovule in process of forma¬ 
tion. Letters as before; c = 
bundles entering from inter¬ 
mediate portion of cupule. 
Text-fig. 6 is a still more tangential section, showing 
the now fully formed ring nearly at the base of the ovular 
stalk. Ha = hairs on cushion ; om and oiv may be taken to 
represent bundles entering from above the ovule, OB and m 
those entering from below the ovule. 
ovular supply, and are not continued as such into the node. They are 
formed again at the top of the node from the inverse series and main 
bundles at the level at which the former turns downwards towards the ovule 
(Text-fig. 4 E, x). Text-figs. 4 C and D show the close connexion formed 
in many cases between the inverse series and the main bundles, many of them 
being fused together so as to constitute a large inversely concentric bundle. 
In tangential sections through the inflorescence axis it is seen that the 
bundles destined for each ovule are collected into a little ring (see Text- 
fig. 5). The upper and lower bundles, those derived respectively from 
the inverse series (OM and Oiv) and the outer series (OB), form the upper 
and lower groups of the ring. At the sides of the ring are smaller 
bundles (c), which, derived at first from the upper and lower groups, have 
moved outwards into the intermediate portions of the cushion and then 
inwards again into the ovular base. The entry of such a bundle into the 
ovule is seen in Text-fig. 13 C, p. 1121. 
The completely formed ring of bundles is seen in the still more tan- 
