To elucidate the origin of secondary growth in the rhizome of B. ternaturn, the developmental changes of vascular cambium was observed in ultrastructural features. The vascular cambium was gradually differentiated from procambium as in seed plants, but the cambial activity did not persist very long so that the cambial cells became a dormant state like fossil cryptogams. Dense cytoplasm of procambial cells became progressively sparse during the growth, and the tiny vesicles were fused to form numerous small vacuoles and then a few large vacuoles. These gradual changes and the occurrence of storage materials which was associated with the developmental stages might support the progressive differentiation of the cambial cells. In addition, the cessation of cambial activity could be indicated by the facts that late vascular cambial cells accumulate large lipid bodies and show very small peripheral cytoplasm and unlikely thickened cell wall, compared to other meristematic cells. Therefore. the vascular cambium showed the characteristics of both seed plants and fossil cryptogams from the view point of cambial ontogeny and activity.tivity.