16 



TRANSITIONS OF BUD-SCALES 



[CH. 



inner pair, and these than the next, then come two or 



three pairs of maximum size, closing in the bud by their 



apices. Inside these scales we 



then come upon one or two 



pairs of similarly shaped, but 



green and herbaceous organs, 



often very viscid owing to the 



slimy secretion referred to above. 



These we hesitate to call scales, 



because they are not hard and 



brown, and we will provisionally 



term them intermediate leaves ; 



while further in still we have 



what are undoubtedly young 



green leaves, closely folded up 



and very hairy. Occupying the 



apex of the axis, on which these 



scales, intermediate leaf-struc- 



tures and leaves are inserted, 



is the tuft of organs marked b 



in the figure, and which is a 



branched group of flowers. 



When the bud swells and 

 bursts in spring, all mystery re- 

 garding the relations of the in- 

 termediate leaves to the true 

 bud-scales on the one side, and 



to the leaves on the other, dis- 



r , r i ,1 



appears, for it becomes clear that 



they are really intermediate be- 

 tween scales and leaves, and we 

 pass gradually through a series 



8 - Successive bud- 

 scales and leaves from an 

 opening bud of ^^^,show- 

 ing the transition from leaf- 

 scales to fully developed leaves 



starting on the outside i.e. below with true scales show- 

 ing no vestige of leaf-blade or green herbaceous texture, 



