133 



t axial in position. The scale or leaf in whose axil the flower at 



first seemed to be, is but the first leaf on the stem represented by 

 the flowen The scale or leaf, the basal part of whose lateral 

 edges slightly enfold the flower, is the second leaf of this stem, 

 in whose axil all the succeeding growth of the stem is but a bud 

 which has never been arrested in its development The spathe 

 of the flower is the third leaf of this axis, and a second spathe 

 which is occasionally present is the fourth leaf Both the buds 

 which are arrested and those which are not arrested in develop- 

 ment are alike in the fact that the first leaf of the new axis is al- 

 ways opposed to the subtending leaf in whose axil they are 

 found (fig. 13). Thus all the parts of a plant are brought back 

 into a normal method of arrangement. 



When it comes, however, to a consideration of the phyllotaxy 

 of the plant, the question presents more difficulties. The first 

 two leaves of each axis seem very much to be opposed to each 

 other, the meeting of the basal edges of second leaf at the flower 

 (instead of the buds defining the axil of the first leaf) alone 

 suggesting that this opposition is more apparent than real. It 

 will also be noticed that the spathe is turned in such a way as to 

 suggest that its axis lies at a right angle to a line connecting the 

 axils of the first and second leaves.* When a second spathe 

 (fig. 12) occurs, it seems to fall almost above the axil of the first 

 leaf (fig. 13), So that it has seemed reasonable to consider this 

 a case of a one-third phyllotaxy. In that case we meet the diffi- 

 culty of always finding the first leaf of each new axis not directly 

 opposed to the subtending leaf, but a httle to one side and al- 

 ^vays in a definite direction. 



This could be explained by the assertion that it is not unu- 

 sual in monocotyledons to find a slight lateral displacement of 

 this first leaf, or by an equally valuable suggestion that the 

 phyllotaxy may be far more complicated than here represented, 

 but approaching the one-third arrangement. It seems, how- 

 ever, just as well to adopt the simpler view, especially since much 

 displacement must necessarily take place in such a complicated 

 structure as the apex of this crowded root stock. 



, ■ -- — — ^ * 



* The folding of the edges of the spathe gives the appearance that the midrib of 

 the same lies between the spadix and the rest of the plant, rather than to one side as 

 '^ore careful dissection would indicate. 



