o 



18 



it seems fair to suppose that they are quite commonly wanting. 

 I was, therefore, somewhat surprised to find them well developed 

 in nearly every one of some twenty specimens which I collected 

 on the 24th of last September in Western New York (Chautau- 

 qua County), a mile or so from the Pennsylvania line. And I Avas 

 still more surprised to find, not only that Gray's statement regard- 

 ing their ** axillary'* position is incorrect, but also that their 

 structure is much more intricate and methodical than the term 

 " bulblet " would suggest. 



In each fully developed specimen the year's growth of stem 

 an inch or more in length — presented, below, the usual cluster of 

 yellowish axillary sporangia, and, a little distance above, from 

 one to four (more commonly two) six-bracted stipes, each ter- 

 minated by a single " bulblet" These stipes are short, thickish 

 subterete ascending branches, not axillary in any sense but 

 occupying, side by side, the exact position of leaves.* Each 

 bears, close to the summit, two lateral pairs and one antero-pos- 

 terior pair of bracts- The former (exterior and interior) are 

 small, slender, pointed, triangular-lanceolate and curved-diver- 

 gent hke the open mandibles of an ant The other (middle) pair 

 IS much larger and presents a bilabiate aspect, the upper bract 

 being broad, flat, oblong and obtuse, the lower one channeled 

 and curved (sigmoid-sulcate) and about twice the length of the 

 upper. The four smaller bracts, though laterally inserted, are 

 somewhat elevated, and the entire structure, upon casual observa- 

 tian, singularly resembles a short, stout peduncle, surmounted by 

 a horizontal calyx w^ith a five-toothed upper lip, the middle tooth 

 broadest, and a much longer and narrower entire lower lip. 



The '* bulblet," which is borne upon this like the ovary of an 

 apetalous pistillate flower, looks oddly like a small plump dust- 

 pan ! The body of the '* pan," which is horizontal inclining to 

 cernuous in position, is formed of two broad oblong scales, sub- 

 concave at base and placed closely side by side. A third scale, 



* It is perfectly clear, from their form and function, that these stipes are 

 caulomes. It is equally evident, from their position, that they are metamorphosed 

 leaves. The necessary inference appears to be that the so-called "leaves" of 

 Lycopoduim are really caiiline and not foliar,— branchlets and not leaves at all— a 

 curious evidence (if any were needed) that the pteridophytic frond is altogether 

 stem notwithstanding its foliaceous appearance. 



