Abstract
The anatomy of the neck cells and the structure of the archegonium during the central cell growth as a stage in the ontogeny of the archegonium that occurs before fertilization is described and compared for Ceratozamia tenuis and Zamia furfuracea. Two neck cells are reported for both species with anatomical features that suggest they participate in the fertilization process. It is postulated that this stage is characterized by a profusely vacuolated cytoplasm from which a large central vacuole becomes prominent. This vacuole plays an important role in pushing the huge egg cell nucleus along with conspicuous smaller vacuoles of the central cell towards the micropylar region. It then presses and pushes the two globose neck cells with their respective subtending surface cells apart and towards the archegonial chamber. There are no significant differences between the development and structure of archegonial neck complexes in the two species studied.
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