Morphology of the seed-scale complex in Picea abies (L.) Karst. (Pinaceae)

The seed-scale is made up of only the two prophylls of the axillary shoot of the bract. These bear one ovule each dorsally. In contradistinction to Pinus, ovules may come to bear hypertrophied, foliarized integuments, but the latter are less developed as the scale is more deeply split into its two components. With total splitting, ovules disappear. This fact, along with previous observations on Pinus, is taken to mean that ovules are but dorsal appendages of the scale components, with no homologous structure in the vegetative state. Florin's view of ovules being, or topping, discrete sporophylls cannot be supported. Our interpretation, on the contrary, is in accordance with Schweitzer's more recent observations.