iiio Thoday.—The Female Inflorescence and Ovules of 
gential section shown in Text-fig. 7, and the further course of the ring of 
8-10 bundles thus entering the ovular axis may be followed in the series 
of sections through the ovular stalk shown in Text-fig. 7. 
III. Anatomy of Stalk of Ovule. 
The young ovule is almost sessile in the axil of the cupule, and its 
base is deeply embedded in the tissues of the cushion. In even the 
oldest ovules among my material of G. africanum the outermost cover¬ 
ing originated very near the base of the short stalk, as in G. Gnemon. I 
do not know whether in G. africanum the stalk ever grows any longer ; 
Professor Pearson tells me he has seen no signs of any further growth. 
The fully mature ovule of G. scandens had a stalk equal in length to 
about a third of the total length of the ovule. 1 
The flower-stalk receives from the main axis a simple ring of bun¬ 
dles, varying in number in very young flowers from about ten to thirteen 
(Text-fig. 7 A). Numerous sclerenchymatous fibres with lignified walls are 
gradually developed in the peripheral layers of the cortex, and lignifica- 
tion appears in the pith at a very early stage, becoming more and more 
strongly pronounced, till in the short stalk of the old ovule of G. africanum 
the pith is entirely composed of sclerified elements. In the long seed-stalk 
of G . scandens this lignification is found only in the upper portion of the 
stalk. 
Below the base of the outer flower-covering the vascular bundles branch, 
and a number of small bundles pass out to supply the outer covering. 
Many of the bundles left behind in the axis become inversely concentric 
and irregularly orientated (Text-fig. 7 B). A ring of lignified cells appears 
in the cortex between the two rings of bundles, and the outermost covering 
is separated off along the outer edge of this ring. 
Above the origin of the outer covering parenchymatous cells appear 
in the centre of the lignified pith. Text-fig. 7 C shows the parenchymatous 
pith surrounded by a ring of lignified tissue. The vascular bundles are 
now divided up rather irregularly into numerous smaller bundles, which 
become separated into an outer and an inner ring. During this process 
many more of the bundles become concentric or more commonly inversely 
concentric, or a few collateral bundles may be arranged to form a concentric 
group. 
The ring of lignified tissue surrounding the pith next moves outwards 
and separates the two rings of bundles (Text-fig. 7 D, and Fig. 6 , PI. 
LXXXVI, If) 1 it finally becomes the inner layer of the outer integument. 
Text-fig. 7 E represents the base of the ovule just below the level of freedom of 
1 It would appear that G. Ula , figured by Karsten, Cohn’s Beitrage, 1893, resembles G. scandens 
in having a long stalk; in that species the abortive ovules fall off, and the old inflorescence presents 
the appearance of a raceme. 
