74 
'The Seed of Lyginodendron. 
borne by the Cycadofilix Lyginodendron Oldhamiuni, a plant of 
arboreal or semi-arboreal habit, standing far back in the series of 
forms which connect the modern Cycads with the great Fern-stock. 
The seed has not been found in actual connexion with the plant— 
indeed it appears that a layer of separation was formed at its base 
which caused it to fail off at a comparatively early period—but the 
two are constantly in association, and what may be called the 
circumstantial evidence of organic connexion is as nearly conclusive 
as such evidence is ever likely to be. 
The most important part of this evidence is the occurrence, on the 
peculiar cupule which invests the young seed, of glands which are 
absolutely identical in structure and dimensions with the glands 
found on the vegetative organs of Lyginodendron Oldhamium, 
particularly on that form of this plant which is associated with the 
Lagenostoma. These glands are sometimes practically sessile, some¬ 
times shortly stalked, and sometimes capitate with long stalks. All 
three types of structure, corresponding in every detail, are found both 
on the cupule of the seed, and on the vegetative organs. There is no 
other known coal-measure fossil in these much-investigated beds that 
has glands in the least like the ones in question. 
The second piece of evidence is drawn from a young seed to 
which the pedicel is still attached, and which was evidently detached 
from the plant accidently before the layer of separation became 
effective. There is a large vascular bundle in this pedicel, and its 
structure agrees closely with that of a petiolar bundle of Lyginoden¬ 
dron , down to the minute characters of the tracheids. 
It will, we think, be generally agreed that we can scarcely refuse 
assent to the conclusion of the authors that the seed Lagenostoma 
belonged to the plant Lyginodendron. 
The bearings of the discovery upon the question of the evolution 
of seed-bearing plants are of the greatest interest. As Dr. Scott 
remarked in the course of the discussion, it was scarcely to he expected 
that a plant so low down in the connecting series as Lyginodendron 
undoubtedly is (though its stem and root are largely Cycadean, the 
whole of the leaf-structure is entirely of Filicinean type), would bear 
not only a seed-like structure, hut such a complicated seed-like 
structure as Lagenostoma. Into the details of this complexity we need 
not enter here, but they present features which are not found in 
modern Gymnosperms or in fossil seeds which undoubtedly belong to 
plants of similar type. It is sufficiently striking that a seed-like 
structure with a well-marked micropyle and pollen-chamber should 
