58 
PHARMACEUTICAL BOTANY 
develops within it a plumule, the cotyledon withers, and the young 
plant (seedling) passes the following winter in this condition. 
During the next spring the plumule develops into a foliage leaf and 
the bulb gives rise from its base to several slender elongated runners , 
which, at their tips develop runner bulbs. These runner bulbs, the 
third year, give origin to another set of runners similar to those 
formed during the second year which also develop runner bulbs at 
their tips. A foliage leaf is also formed by each. The following 
spring (spring of fifth year) one of these bulbs develops into a 
mature sporophyte plant, bearing a single flower at the summit of 
its elongated scape. See Fig. 27. 
RESEMBLANCES BETWEEN GYMNOSPERMS AND ANGIOSPERMS 
1. In both are developed those structures in which there is no 
homologue, e.g., flowers. 
2. In both the flowers develop at least two sets of leaves (eitjher 
on one or two plants of the same species) called sporophylla or 
sporophyll leaves, the stamens and carpels. The stamens or stam¬ 
ina! leaves are also termed microsporophylls. The carpels or 
carpellate leaves are also known as megasporophylls. 
3. Both groups produce microspores or pollen grains and mega¬ 
spores or embryo sacs. 
4. In both are developed on the evident generation, the plant or 
sporophyte and the gametophyte, the latter concealed within the 
megaspore of the sporophyte. 
5. Both develop seeds with one or two seed coats. 
6. In both groups there is developed from the fertilized egg an 
embryo which lies within the cavity of the megaspore. 
7. In both there exists a root and a stem peficambium. 
8. Both produce collateral vascular bundles. Very rarely do we 
meet with concentric bundles in the stem or leaf of Angiosperms. 
FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN GYMNOSPERMS AND 
ANGIOSPERMS 
1. The flowers of Gymnosperms are often monoecious or dioecious 
but very rarely hermaphrodite, as in Welwitchia, whereas those of 
Angiosperms are usually hermaphrodite, rather rarely monoecious, 
still more rarely dioecious. 
