In the germinating seed of the gnetalean plant Welwitschia mirabilis a collared zone of the embryo produces a rapidly-developing, positively geotropic, nonvascularized lateral protuberance. This structure, if it did act haustorially or absorptively as a feeder, would appear to have its closest parallel in morphology and function with other plants in the lepidophyte Selaginella. The lower, mucilaginous surface of the protuberance, which reaches its maximum length of approximately 5 mm six days after emergence of the radicle, remains closely cemented to the megagametophyte. The various regions of the gametophyte and the embryonic protuberance - especially their shared interface - that were studied cytochemically and ultrastructurally in order inter alia to clarify the feeder's function, are circumscribed. Keywords: Welwitschia, seed, gametophyte, Feeder, Germination.